Black Roses, Bandanas and Koopa Shells
by Shritistrang
Summary: What would you do if you found out that you weren't really born in this world... or as a human for that matter? Ryoga Hibiki is about to find out when Nerima is being visited by a plumber and his friends...
1. Cursed Existences

Two pairs of hasty feet were pattering across the hills. High above the two hunched figures, the pale moon was shining upon them.

"Is he still after us?" a male voice asked.

"Keep running!" a female voice answered.

Then they heard the dreaded noise... a strange zipping sound that was approaching rapidly.

"He's coming after us!" the female yelled. She was clutching two small bundles to her body. "Here, take the babies and run!"

"No, I'll never leave you to him!"

And then their pursuer appeared, a blue-robed figure that was perched atop a flying broomstick. A wrinkled face was looking at them from underneath a blue hat and through a pair of cracked spectacles.

With a fang-toothed grin, the evil magician looked down at his prey. "I finally found you, disobedient daughter!"

The female turtle with the black shell scowled at him. "You'll never make us stay, father! I love Kenny and we will start our lives anew, away from Bowser's reign."

The Magikoopa looked at her darkly. "You know very well I can't allow that, Kimmy!"

"If you lay just one hand on her, Kamek, I'll..." The rash male with the yellow shell stepped in front of his beloved one.

Kamek smirked. "Out of my way!" He produced a magical wand from his sleeve, aimed it at the rebellious Koopa and cast his spell.

A magical projectile, made of a red triangle, a green circle and a blue square, flew through the air.

"NO!" Kimmy shouted and threw herself in front of her boyfriend. She turned her black shell towards the incoming spell and extended her spines. The projectile hit the hard shell and dissolved.

Kamek frowned. "You earned those spines as a member of the Koopatrol through years of heavy work and dutifulness. Do you really want to throw all of this away, just so you can stay with a rebel?"

"He's not a rebel!" Kimmy Koopa protested. "He is from Koopa Village, and they never were part of Bowser's kingdom."

"The king won't be pleased when he learns that one of his most skilled captains has deserted, my dear..." the Magikoopa mumbled.

"Is it really Bowser who told you to come after me? I think he wouldn't care less about me. It's really you, is it? You always wanted to control my life, father! Well, not anymore!" She hugged her two eggs protectively. "I will protect my future husband and our children for everyone... even you!"

Kamek looked down at his daughter. "Very well..." he muttered. "You asked for it..."

"FIRE FLOWER SQUAD, ATTACK!" a loud voice suddenly yelled. And then, the air was filled with fireballs that got chucked at the elderly magician.

"Ow!" He shouted. "Hey, that burns! Ow, I say!"

Kimmy and Kenny sighed in relief when they saw the small troop of Toad and Koopa warriors appearing behind the hill. "We're saved, Kenny!" Kimmy sighed. "Those are soldiers of the Mushroom Kingdom!"

A regal Toad with a thick, black mustache approached them, accompanied by a green-shelled Koopa with a goatee.

"Our spies already told us of your arrival," the Toad said in a dignified voice. "As soon as we learned that escapees from the Koopa Kingdom were approaching, we sent a squad of our finest soldiers to come to your aid. I am chancellor Toadsworth, and this is Captain Koopa Koot." The Koopa with the goatee saluted.

"Thanks for your help, chancellor," Kimmy said gratefully. "We were hoping to become citizens of Toad Town after realizing that my grandfather didn't approve of our love."

"Kamek is your grandfather?" Koopa Koot frowned. "Well, we can't choose our parents, girl, that's for sure..."

"He's out of range, sir!" one of the Fire Flower-wielding Toads shouted.

"Cease fire!" Koopa Koot commanded. The soldiers obeyed.

When Kamek noticed that the Mushroom troops had stopped firing, he stopped his broom and turned around.

"Hear me, Kimmy! Those children of yours are doomed children! I am cursing them on this very day! The boy shall never find a way by himself! His sister will grow up to be demented and delusional! And one day, I will hunt them down! Mark my words, daughter: I WILL hunt them down! This is the curse that I, Kamek, am putting on them!"

And cackling insanely, he turned around his broom and flew through the night sky.

----

One month later...

"It's a boy! And a girl!"

Kenny stared proudly down at his two children while they were sleeping peacefully in their mother's arms.

Tears of happiness were flowing down Kimmy's turtle face. "Just look at them, Kenny! The boy has your face. And aren't the black spots on his yellow shell the cutest thing?"

Kenny sniffed. "The girl is just as beautiful as her mother. See, she even has your black shell..."

"They will grow up to be strong and healthy Koopas, I'm sure of it!" the midwife, an elderly Toad called Tayce T., said.

Outside of the room, Toadsworth shook his head in worry. He knew that Kamek's curses always came true. The parents would have a hard time raising the children... and then there was the Magikoopa's promise that he would hunt them down one day.

"We can't assure their safety, not even within the walls of the castle," he murmured. "And what about Princess Peach? When Kamek attacks, she will be in danger too. And she is just a baby... how can I protect her?"

He made a decision. "There is only one way," he sighed. "But how to tell them the bad news?"

----

"NO!" Kimmy shouted and hugged her little daughter to herself. "You can't ask this of me!"

"Dear, please think about it!" her husband pleaded. "Toadsworth has a point: We have to think of our children's safety. We have to hide them someplace where it's safe... someplace where he would never find them."

"B-but they're just babies..." Kimmy Koopa sniffed and hugged the female baby. "How will they grow up, without parents?"

"We can put them in the care of foster families," Toadsworth spoke up. "Parents that will love them, no matter what will happen."

Kimmy sniffed. "At least let me make some goodbye presents for them..."

----

A few days later, the two Koopas and Toadsworth were standing in the middle of an underground chamber, surrounded by pipes. In the middle of the room, a big, purple pipe was placed.

"Are you sure this thing will work?" Kenny asked while he carried his son.

"This is a very ancient warp pipe, and it hasn't been used in ages," Toadsworth said. "But I think it will work. It is one of the very few gateways that leads to a planet where they will be safe... a planet called Earth."

"But isn't that where only humans are living?" Kimmy sniffed. "How will they be accepted if they are outcasts? The only member of their races over there?"

"That won't be a problem," Toadsworth said. "Yesterday, I visited the wise magician Merlon... and he enchanted these two items you made, Kimmy!" He showed them a spotted bandana and a black rose.

"What will the spells do to them?" Kenny asked. He was a bit afraid.

"They will turn them into humans, so they can grow up amongst their own kind. When they are old enough to learn the truth, you can see them again."

Kimmy sobbed as she took the black rose from the Toad and placed them on her daughter's sleeping form. "Always keep in mind, sweet Koko," she sniffled. "Always keep this rose close to you and it will keep you safe!"

Kenny tied the bandana around his son's head. "Always wear this, Ryo!" he said. "And one day, you might find your way back home..."

The two children started to glow in a brilliant light. The parents handed them over to the two Toads that had the job to bring them to Earth.

"Please make sure they will get fine parents," Kenny said while his wife continued to cry.

"We will," the Toads nodded. "The country we will be taking them to is known for its customs of honor. I will try to take your daughter to a wealthy family so she will be cared for."

"And I will make sure the boy will have loving parents that will teach him about honor and honesty," the other Toad promised.

And while the two still glowing children slowly transformed into humans, the two Toads jumped into the Warp Pipe, which transported them to the planet known as Earth... to the country known as Japan.

----

Juuban, Tokyo, Japan...

Kodachi Kuno rose from her slumber. She had a magnificent dream. She had dreamt that her Ranma-sama had saved her from a terrifying, flying turtle... it was silly, true, but she liked the idea.

"Maybe this will be the day that my beloved will forget about that red-haired hussy and the violent thug Akane Tendo and realize that I am the only one for him! OHOHOHOHOHOHOH!"

She climbed out of bed and walked over to the black rose that was standing on her nightstand. She took a deep sniff. "Dear rose, make my wishes come true..." she murmured.

----

Outside of Juuban...

Actually, outside of Tokyo...

Heck, make that near the border of Japan...

"Where the hell am I now?" Ryoga Hibiki wondered as he looked around. He didn't think there were harbors like this in Juuban...

He grimaced. Damn, how was he supposed to show Akane this great stuffed turtle he had won? He knew she would like it...

But just as he was approaching the Tendo Dojo, he ran into his rival Ranma, and he made him run after him by taunting the bandana-clad boy.

Ryoga snarled, showing off his fangs. "Damn you, Ranma! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

He tugged at the bandana he was wearing... the very first bandana he ever had. As far as he could remember, he never took it off. He only washed it when he was taking a shower himself.

"If I didn't have this bandana..." he murmured. "I wouldn't even find my way back home..." That was something he was convinced of.

He sighed and started walking. The sooner he tried finding the right way, the sooner would he be able to see Akane again.

When his tummy started to grumble, he decided it was time for lunch.

"Maybe just a few roasted mushrooms..." he mumbled.

----

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOH!"

Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, bounded over the rooftops as usual, clad only in her skin-tight leotard, laughing maniacally and leaving a trail of black rose petals behind.

When she landed next to the gate of St. Hebereke's school for girls, the students that were just coming through gave her respectful bows. They might not all like the demented Kuno... but they were not crazy enough to show it to her.

Kodachi ignored the lowly subjects around her and looked at her wristwatch. "4:47," she muttered to herself. "3 seconds better than my last record... not bad! But, I will never be too slow to catch up with my darling Ranma!" She grinned dreamily.

In a dark corner nearby, she changed into her school uniform... meaning, she simply slipped it over her leotard. She ALWAYS wore her leotard underneath. You never know when you had to enter a battle.

Just when the bell was ringing, she went to enter the front gate... and stood still when someone addressed her: "Excuse me, miss, but can you show me the quickest way to Nerima?"

Kodachi turned around in annoyance. "This IS Nerima, peasant!" she grumbled. "Or do you not recognize the glory that is St. Hebereke, the school that I am attending, Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose?"

"Kodachi?" Ryoga said in surprise. He thought she looked familiar. He looked around. "Well, this COULD be Nerima..."

"Of course it is!" Kodachi huffed. "And now do not waste any more of my precious time!"

"Um, could you maybe point me to the direction of the Tendo Dojo?" Ryoga asked.

Kodachi groaned. If she wasn't so late, she would teach that ignorant brute some manners. Although, the teachers probably wouldn't dare reproving her for being late..."

"Listen, Hibiki!" she snapped and turned around. "Why should I be interested in whatever you or the low-life Tendos are going to..." She stopped in mid-sentence when she looked at his face... and his bandana.

Ryoga blinked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Kodachi shook her head in confusion. She knew that she had already seen Ryoga Hibiki before, but somehow... she had the feeling that today was the actual day she was really seeing him for the first time. Somehow, something about him seemed... familiar. Like something she had almost forgotten from a time long, long ago...

"Kodachi?" Ryoga asked. "Are you okay?"

Kodachi shook her head. "What a stupid question!" she said. "I was just wondering, um... Is that the same bandana you are always wearing?"

It was a dumb excuse to change the subject, but as long as he didn't notice how foolishly she had stared at him...

"Oh, that?" Ryoga asked and touched his bandana. "Yeah, that's the same one! I never take it off, you know? It's a present from my parents... it helps me to find my way back home. Well, at least every two months..."

For some reason, Kodachi felt compassion with the eternally lost boy. She could not explain it, she had never held any feeling other than contempt towards the vulgar, common crowd. But now...

"I... have something similar back home," she finally said in a quiet voice. "It is a black rose... the first specimen I used to grow my special black roses. I think I got it from my mother, before she died. I think... it might be as special to me as your bandana is."

"Really?" Ryoga asked in awe. "Wow, I never thought there was someone else who felt this way. Does it help you in some way too?"

"Every time I... I have trouble with my life, I took a smell of that rose... and I have the feeling as if all my troubles are being swept away..."

They looked at each other for a while, then Ryoga scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Um, okay... it was good to see that I'm not the only one with something like that, but, uh... I'm still kinda looking for the Tendo Dojo. Can you show me the way?"

Inexplicably, Kodachi felt angry again when she heard the last name of the hated girl her brother was so obsessed with.

She huffed. "You think Akane Tendo is more interesting than my tales? Fine, peasant! See if I care again about your silly little stories! And if you would excuse me, I have a class to attend."

And she turned around and let Ryoga stand alone in front of the gate.

He grimaced. "Stuck-up girl..." he grumbled. "I don't know why I was telling her all of this... I better go and find Akane's house."

But he had to admit, he had felt something familiar when he looked into her eyes. As if he had seen a similar pair before in his life.

He shook his head. "What's wrong with me?" he muttered. Then he looked around. "And where the heck am I now? DAMN!"

----

Meanwhile, in the middle of the bridge leading over Nerima channel...

In a secluded place by the shore, a huge purple pipe suddenly came out of the ground, emitting a strange sound. And then, five figures came popping out of the pipe and landed softly on the green grass that surrounded it.

When the pipe once again vanished in the ground, the blonde girl looked down with worry. "Are you sure we will find this place again?"

"Don't worry about-a this, princess!" a stout man with a bushy, black mustache said. "See this small pipe image in the sand? I'll just have-a to do a nice butt stomp here, and it will appear again."

"Well, that's good to know," the diminutive boy with the oversized cap mumbled. "I don't want to be stuck in this strange world."

"Don't worry, Toad!" his princess said with a smile. "We'll just help find Kimmy and Kenny find their children." She frowned. "I still can't believe Toadsworth never mentioned this to me before. Even if the castle was in danger at that time, he didn't have to force you to give your babies away..."

"It's all right, Princess Peach," a gentle voice behind her spoke up. "We learned to forgive him... and at least we'll be seeing our kids again!"

The princess (who was dressed in a simple, pink sundress without any adornments, even sans her crown) looked at the two parents. "Are you feeling fine? Are there any side-effects of Merlon's magic?"

"I'm fine..." Kimmy Koopa muttered while she tried to regain her balance. "But being so tall is so weird... did he have to turn us into humans?"

"Well, not-a too many humans are used to see talking turtles that are walking on-a two legs... no offense!"

"None taken!" Kenny grinned. "But I think we should get used to call ourselves by the human names Merlon gave us. "For everyone else, we just look like these 'Japanese' people that are living here. So we should have Japanese names as well... Right, 'Kimiko'?"

He looked at his wife. Gone was the black Koopa shell with the retractable spikes, instead she was wearing an elegant kimono. Her new, raven-black hair was falling down her backside. "Sure, 'Kensuke', but are you really sure that the people around here are wearing something like this?"

"I informed myself," Peach spoke up. "This so-called kimono is a traditional garment of the Japanese people."

Kenny aka 'Kensuke' looked down at his own pants and shirt. "Well, at least my clothes look pretty normal..." He raised a hand to touch his blonde hair. "But it's kinda strange that my head is all fuzzy..."

"We had-a no choice about it," the plumber hero of the Mushroom Kingdom shrugged. "The humans would-a freak out if they saw they in your true form... it's-a the same reason why we had to put Yoshi in an eggshell... sorry 'bout that, old buddy!"

A damped "Yoshi!" came out of the backpack on the plumber's back as a response.

"Why did we have to bring the dinosaur after all?" Toad frowned. "Kimmy... I mean, Kimiko and Kensuke might be humans now, and I can at least hide my mushroom cap with this big cap, but aren't you taking a risk by taking Yoshi's egg with you?"

"He said he always wanted to see the world I have been living in for at-a least once," Mario explained. "When he looks at-a you with those teary eyes... you can't-a say no!"

"But... but what about the palace?" Toad stuttered, trying to find yet another excuse to get back home. "Isn't it risky to leave like this? What if Bowser attacks while we're away?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Luigi and Toadsworth will have everything under control," the princess smiled.

----

"Luigi! Look out behind you!"

"WHAAAAAAAH!" the green-clothed plumber shouted as he waved the front end of the Poltergust 3000 around. "Mamma mia, where IS that stupid ghost?"

"Tee hee hee!" the Boo snickered as he appeared out of nowhere. "We're not stupid, silly plumber... we are just SNEAKY!"

"I've got you now!" Luigi shouted as he started sucking the spherical ghost into his vacuum cleaner.

"EEEEEEK!" the Boo screamed. "Lemme go, lemme go! I just followed my orders, I swear!"

Toadsworth was cowering in a corner of the room and whimpered. "Why, oh why did the Boos choose this day to haunt the castle, why?"

While Luigi and Toadsworth were busy with the Boos on the upper floor, a slightly bigger Boo came floating through the thick walls of the basement. His face was slightly scarier than that of an average Boo, and he also was wearing a crown on his head.

"Nyyeeheeheeheeheeh!" King Boo snickered. "Now let's see if I can find this Warp Pipe Kamek told me about... he promised to pay us Boos handsomely for finding it."

Which meant he was paying King Boo, and his ghostly subjects would get nothing, but that was beside the point.

King Boo cackled gleefully when he finally found the Pipe Room. "Excellent!" he grinned. "I should probably report to Kamek right away... buuut I'm just too tempted. Who knows where this pipe leads to? I just have to find out!"

And with mad laughter, the royal ghost vanished inside the purple pipe.

----

Meanwhile, Peach, Mario and Toad were walking around town, together with the ex-turtle parents. Toad's giant cap was getting a few irritated glances, but all in all, they didn't attract too much attention.

Toad looked at the map and scratched his head. "Well, according to this map that Merlon gave us, the house that my uncle Russ T. brought your daughter to is in that direction... and the new home of your son is in the other direction."

"I suggest we split up, so we don't scare them with too many people at once," Kensuke said.

Kimiko smiled. "Good idea, dear! I'll go introduce myself to our daughter, while you can pay our son a visit."

"I'll go with you, Kimiko!" Peach said. "Toad, please come with us. Mario, you should go with Kensuke. If trouble arises, you always have Yoshi to help you out."

"Okeydokey, Peachy!" Mario grinned and gave her the thumbs-up.


	2. Nerima Power Tennis

"So this is it?"

Kensuke looked at his map. "It must be. There are no other 'Hibikis' living around here."

"Then I suppose I should-a knock at the door?"

"Yeah... yeah, that would be a good idea..."

Mario looked at the Koopa in human disguise. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"Me? No, not nervous at all!" Kensuke squeaked. "I'm looking forward to finally meeting my son!"

Mario grinned. "That's-a okay, I guess I would be nervous as well when I'm about to meet a family member I've-a never met before."

The plumber raised his gloved hand and knocked.

After a few minutes, the door opened.

"Hello, does a certain Ryoga Hibiki live here?"

Mario looked around. "Hello?"

Kensuke gestured downwards. "Um, Mario... I think the dog just opened the door."

The curious-looking dog with the black-and-white fur pattern looked up at the visitors and whined questioningly.

Mario crouched down in front of the female. "Well, hello there, lil' fella! Is-a this the Hibiki house?"

Shirokuro nodded. Unlike many other dogs, she was almost as intelligent as a human being. She had to, or else she wouldn't able to handle the house by herself when her masters were away... what was pretty often.

"Can we speak to Ryoga Hibiki, then?"

Shirokuro shook her muzzle and barked softly.

Mario looked at Kensuke. "You got an idea what she wants to tell us?"

Kensuke shrugged. "Not the slightest, I don't speak dog!"

"Okeydokey, then I guess it's-a good that I brought-a Yoshi along with us," Mario said as he carried his backpack inside.

"Yoshi? Why?" Kensuke asked as he and the dog followed the red-clothed plumber.

Mario chuckled. "Well, he can understand many different kinds of animals, or do you think that-a only Yoshis live on his island?"

He put down the huge egg with the green spots in front of Shirokuro, who watched and sniffed it in fascination.

And then, the egg shell broke apart as a green-colored dinosaur with a big nose and a small saddle on its back came popping out.

"YOSHI!"

Shirokuro barked in surprise. Yoshi looked at her and waved. "Yoshi!"

"Whine?"

"Yoshi yoshi!"

"Bark bark!" Shirokuro wagged her tail.

Yoshi looked at Mario and Kensuke. "Yoshi?"

"Um, please ask her if Ryoga Hibiki is home, we'd like to talk to him in an urgent matter," Kensuke said.

The green dinosaur nodded. "Yoshi yoshi?" he asked the female canine.

"Woof woof! Bark bark bark, whine whine..." Shirokuro rubbed her nose in bashfulness.

Yoshi nodded. Yes, that's what he was thinking too. He turned around and told Mario: "Yoshi! Yoshi yoshi! Yoshi? Yoshi yoshi!"

Mario nodded. "Yeah, I thought so, too..."

Kensuke sweatdropped. "How could you possibly understand what he was saying?"

Mario shrugged. "Oh, Yoshi and me have a long story going way, way back... I learned to understand and speak his language, it's-a not that difficult as everyone thinks."

"But... but he always says the same thing over and over again!"

"That's a true, but it's a matter of how the word is pronounced and if he lowers or raises his voice."

Kensue shook his head. He would probably never be able to speak in Yoshi... "So what did she say?"

"Well, Yoshi told me that she excuses her masters, but both the parents and young Ryoga are away... and from what I heard, it happens quite a lot. When Yoshi asked for the reason, she just said that they 'just get lost somewhere' on a regular basis."

Kensuke frowned. "That sounds pretty familiar... you think Ryo's curse has affected them as well?"

"Eh, I dunno." He looked at Yoshi. "Please ask her if there is any way to contact Ryoga."

Yoshi nodded. "Yoshi yoshi?" he asked. "Yoshi?"

"Yip yip whine!" Shirokuro answered. "Bark bark woof! Whine..."

"Yoshi!" the dinosaur told his friend.

Mario sighed. "It's-a kinda difficult to track him down, but he has the tendency to show up every now and then... She said she's-a afraid she can't help us further, but she has-a to stay behind and watch the house-a."

"Now that's great!" Kensuke sighed. "And how are we supposed to find him, then? It's not as if we are lucky enough and he just comes through this door in a second..."

"I'm home!" a male voice suddenly shouted from the entrance. "Mom, Dad? Aw, why do I bother... It's not as if they are home just because I happen to find the way back home just... today?"

Ryoga looked at the two strangers, Shirokuro and the green dinosaur that was standing inside his parents' living room in surprise. "Um... hello? Can I help you?"

----

"Ranma, you idiot!"

"Hey!" the pig-tailed boy shouted in annoyance and ducked underneath the brick that a certain Tendo tomboy had thrown at him in anger. "Is it my fault that Kodachi and Shampoo are after me the whole time? I wish they'd leave me alone for once."

"Yeah, sure, I bet that's the reason why you glomped her, you goddamn pervert!"

"What?" Ranma asked in surprise, dodging an incoming rock. "You saw what she did to me right? She totally wrapped me up in that ribbon of hers, what was I supposed to do? If you hadn't clonked her on the head, I would've had the questionable honor of testing her newest paralyzing powder or whatever she was going to feed me!"

"Good excuse, you jerk!" Akane yelled. "I saw how you bucked against her when she had pulled you close!"

"I was tryin' ta escape!"

"I'm not a fool, Ranma!"

"No, only an uncute tomboy who can't cook!"

Akane gritted her teeth and pulled out a tool that was quite familiar to the pig-tailed martial artist. "NO! Akane, put down the mallet!"

"RANMA NO BAKA!"

WHAM!

A street that was near the path which Akane and Ranma usually took when they walked to school, or home from school...

Toad yelped in surprise when he saw a human body flying through the air and crashing into a wall. "GAH! Koopa attack!"

"Don't be silly now, Toad!" Princess Peach admonished him. "There are no Koopas in this world... well, almost none," she added, with a side glance to Kimiko.

"Do you think he's all right?" Kimiko asked in worry as they hurried over to the boy, who was just standing up and rubbed his head.

"Well, he sure has a thick skull..." Toad murmured.

"Ow... damn, does Akane have ta do that all the time?" Ranma muttered as he stood up.

"Excuse me, but are you hurt?" a pleasant voice asked him.

Ranma looked up and saw a middle-aged lady in a kimono, an attractive blonde girl in a pink dress and a small kid wearing an oversized cap.

"Um, sure, happens to me all the time..."

"What?" Peach gasped in surprise. "Oh, you poor boy..."

"What do you think you are doing, Ranma?" Akane suddenly shouted as she came around the corner. "I'm not finished with you yet. And are you flirting again? Why, you womanizer..." She raised her mallet furiously.

"Eep," shouted a startled Toad. "Sh-she's going to hit us with that thing!"

Peach frowned. That hammer looked almost as big as Mario's Ultra Hammer. "We have to protect this poor, defenseless man from that hostile fury," she said in a determined voice. "Toad, hand me the Power-Up chest!"

"B-but princess... that's too dangerous!"

"Toad, please..." the princess sighed. "Don't you remember Smithy? Or our adventure in the dreamworld, Subcon? You know I can fight if I have to. Now hand me the box!"

"Y-yes, princess!" the Mushroom Retainer squeaked and pulled something out of his pocket.

Ranma stared when he saw the yellow, cubical box with the question mark. "How... how did that fit into your pocket?"

"Please, stand back," Peach said as Toad threw the box into the air, where it hovered above the ground. He jumped against the box from underneath, and...

Akane's eyes got huge when she saw the pink-dressed girl grab the red mushroom with the white spots... and grew to an enormous size herself!

Peach sternly looked down at the short-haired girl, who almost let her mallet fall down to the floor. "Now, shall we settle this just like any lady would?"

'She... she must be at least as tall as Taro's monster form...' Akane thought, but she wasn't a girl who got that easily intimidated.

She reinforced her grip on the mallet and snarled: "Ranma you coward! Don't hide behind girls and take your punishment like a man!"

Peach sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you..." she muttered, then pulled a huge tennis racket out from under her dress.

Ranma looked at the huge girl in awe, not only because he could nearly look underneath her dress. "Where do they keep all that stuff?" he murmured. "Maybe she has a similar trick like Akane, when she calls upon that mallet... or she's a mistress of hidden weapons, like Mousse."

He really hoped the latter one wasn't the case, because he could do without another Amazon suitor, thank you very much.

Peach reached down and effortlessly picked the struggling Akane up from the ground.

"Hey! Put me down, you, you... gorilla-girl!"

Peach frowned. "I'll let you know that I don't like it if someone insults me. I'll give you a last chance: Stop with that attitude and leave the poor, defenseless boy alone!"

"Defenseless MY ASS!" Akane yelled.

Peach scowled at her. "Fine!" She pulled back her arm with the racket, threw Akane high up into the air...

"YAAAAAAAHH!" a certain Tendo tomboy tennis ball screamed.

And she hit her with an overhead serve, which sent the still yelling Akane flying away in the distance.

"Nice serve, Your Highness!" Kimiko smiled

Peach smiled and put her racket away. Then the Super Mushroom's effects wore off, and she shrunk down to normal human size. She walked up to Ranma. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

Ranma shook his head. He was still looking in the direction Akane had vanished in. No, but I have the feeling Akane will be mad when she comes home tonight..."

"Oh!" A slight hint of guiltiness appeared on the princess' face. "Was she your sister?"

"No..." Ranma sighed. "Just my fiancee..."

Toad sweatdropped. "But she wanted to hit you with that mallet."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, she does that all the time."

Peach frowned. "How could she do something like that?"

Ranma shrugged. "Eh, I've gotten used to it." Then he realized something. "Say... did that lady just call you 'princess'?"

Peach sighed. "Yes, that she did!" She frowned at Kimiko. "I thought I told you not to call me that. We are undercover."

Kimiko winced. "Sorry about this, prin... Peach!"

Ranma groaned. "Oh great! Please don't tell me you are here because of me... Did my father engage us without telling me?"

Peach looked at him in confusion. "What? No, I'm just here to accompany Kimiko. And why would your father do such a thing if you're engaged?"

"That's a long story..." Ranma muttered. He could tell the lady wasn't from around.

"Say, you live here in Nerima, is that true?" Kimiko then spoke up.

Ranma hesitated, then nodded. "Well, I've been living here for a few years now, so I guess, yeah, you could say that."

"And do you, by any chance, know a boy named Ryoga Hibiki? He must be around your age..."

Now Ranma grinned. "Ryoga? Of course I know him! Heck, we even were buddies back in school. Well, I don't know if 'buddies' is really the right words... but yeah, I know him pretty good!"

"Really?" Kimiko was overjoyed. "That's great news! And what about a girl called Kodachi? Kodachi Kuno?"

Ranma winced. "Well, I do know her... but if you plan to get near her, you better think twice about that, lady! I mean, pretty everyone in Nerima knows that her whole family is a bunch of loonies. Heck, she has the weird idea that I should be her husband, even though she knows that I'm engaged to Akane... and two other girls," he muttered, but Kimiko didn't hear that last part. "I don't really know how often she has tried to poison me just so she could force me to come home with her..."

"She did?" Kimiko gasped. "Oh no... please say you're not telling the truth..."

"I wish," Ranma sighed. "But she is a pretty persistent girl... and if she doesn't try to poison me, she attacks Akane with her razor hoops or spiked clubs."

"Oh no," Kimiko sobbed and buried her face in her hands. "No, my darling little girl... whatever happened to you? Why are you doing all of these awful things?"

"Maybe... it's because of Kamek's curse," Toad assumed while Peach stroked the distraught woman's hair.

"Eh, it's not a big deal, actually," Ranma said, wondering why those strangers were worrying about Kodachi. "At least she doesn't try to kill me. Ryoga always attacks me with that heavy umbrella he's carrying..."

He decided to keep his mouth shut for now when he heard the woman's sobbing intensify.

"There, there, Kimmy!" Peach said in a soothing voice. "Everything will turn out to be just fine, believe me!"

Ranma was feeling really uncomfortable by now. "Umm... I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

Peach sighed. "If what you told us is the truth, then it's good that you told us these things about Ryoga and Kodachi. The shock would have been even bigger for her if she found out by herself..."

"But... I don't get it," Ranma scratched his head. "Why are those two so important to her?"

"Because," Kimiko sobbed as she looked at the pig-tailed boy with teary eyes. "Ryoga and Kodachi are my children!"

----

Nabiki looked up from her magazine when she heard a weird sound. Seconds later, a low-orbit missile named Akane came flying at the Tendo Dojo, landing directly next to Nabiki and created a deep hole in the earth of the backyard.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Now that's weird, normally Kuno is the one that lands in such a manner... Yo, sis, you finally home?"

"Please... help me out of here!" came Akane's muffled voice out of the ground.

Later, Akane was sitting next to her sisters in the living room, still picking crumbs of earth out of her hair.

"So, what did you do to piss off Shampoo like that?" Nabiki asked. "Or was it Kodachi?"

"No," Akane replied. "It was a huge girl with a tennis racket."

Kasumi and Nabiki looked at each other.

"Oh my!" Kasumi said. "Well, these marks in your face do look similar to the strings of a tennis racket..."

"Tennis Martial Arts?" Nabiki wondered. "Now that's a first..."

"But that's not the weird thing, Nabiki!" Akane protested. "Before pulling out that racket, the girl ate a mushroom that made her grow to a huge size, and I mean HUGE! Almost as big as Pantyhose Taro's beast form!"

Nabiki blinked. "That... is big!"

Kasumi tapped her finger against her chin. "Do you suppose those mushrooms are similar to the mushrooms that turned Ranma-kun and Ryoga-kun into small boys?"

"I don't know," Akane shrugged. "But it didn't look like those mushrooms at all." She then noticed something. "Nabiki, why are you home already? I know you still have classes this afternoon."

Nabiki shrugged. "The vice principal announced that all students should leave early today, because of a number of strange events that started right after you and Ranma left."

"What kind of events?"

Nabiki looked at her sister closely. "You REALLY wanna know?"

Akane nodded. "Yes, yes I do!"

Nabiki opened her palm. "2.000 yen!"

Akane grimaced. "Forget it, Nabiki..."

----

Meanwhile, in one of Furinkan's class rooms...

Ryonami, a girl from Nabiki's clique, was pounding against the painting she was trapped in. "Hey! Lemme out of here!"

The spherical, floating ghost with the crown floated in front of her painting and cackled maliciously. "I don't think so, my pretty... you are the very first one of my new collection! Very soon, I will have captured every single human inside this school... and then I will turn it into my ghostly domicile. Bwahahahahahahah!"

----

"Well, if you really want to go to the Kunos' house, I can bring you there. I didn't really plan on going anywhere near those loonies by myself, but if you must, I might as well protect you."

"Protect us?" Peach wondered. "Against what?"

"Ya know, the usual: Traps, giant alligators, the principal's scissors..."

Kimiko paled. "Toad, nothing against your uncle... but when I meet him again, forgive me for strangling him to death! HOW could he bring my baby to such people?"

"Your... BABY?" Ranma gasped. "You want to tell me that your baby is at the Kunos' house?"

Kimiko nodded.

Ranma grimaced. "Whoever brought that little kid in there is gonna have to give me some goddamn good answers! But for now, let's just get him... her... away from there. Um, is it a boy or a girl?"

"A g-g-girl," Kimiko stuttered.

"Okay, just leave it to me. I'll help you find the place and save your child. Who knows what insane ideas Kodachi will put into the girl's head once she finds her... C'mon, it's this way!"

"W-wait a minute," Kimiko muttered, but Ranma didn't hear her.

She looked at the princess. "Um, shouldn't we explain to him that he got it wrong...?"

"Well, he seems pretty excitable... and he's clearly well-meaning and intent on bringing us there. I think we can shine some light on the misunderstanding as soon as we get there."

"Hopefully..." Toad murmured.

"Hey, what are you all waiting for? Hurry up!" Ranma shouted.

----

Meanwhile, someone else had already reached the Kuno mansion. He wasn't a member of the family, but wasn't completely faultless either. He had a big nose, an even bigger belly, pointed ears and two rows of huge teeth.

He also liked to dress himself in yellow clothes.

"Heheheheheh..." Wario chuckled. "This-a place reeks with treasure! If I'll be damned if I don't find a few nice coins in here..."

Avoiding traps in a huge castle or manor wasn't completely new to him, and if his big nose smelt gold, there was no stopping him.

He snickered. "Hopefully the people living in here don't mind that their lil' alligator is-a a bit tied up now..."

It wasn't quite an easy task to tie the beast's tail around its muzzle, but at least it wouldn't bother him again. A little swing-dinging, and the reptile was now hanging from a tree.

"It was-a good of Kamek to hire me as well," the treasure maniac grinned. "Who knows-a what the stupid King Boo is doing right now... if you want something retrieved, call for Wario! Well, but only if you're willing to relieve-a your wallet of it's-a contents..."

He then opened the hidden safe in Kuno Sr.'s bedroom, and his eyes turned into dollar signs.

"MAMMA MIA! Now that's a loot! Bwahahahahah! Wario's-a gonna be richer than rich!"

He pulled out his sack and put as many money in there as he could carry.

Suddenly, something zipped past his pointed ears and got stuck in the frame of the bookshelf.

"Eh?" he wondered. "Now what?"

"Put that back right now, scoundrel!" a lispy voice spoke up. "This money belongs to the glorious house of Kuno!"

Wario turned around... and sighed. "Ah, it just had to be a bloody ninja, eh?" Hopefully, this guy wouldn't be as skilled as the ninja twins in his hometown, Kat and Ana...

"Did you not hear me, thief? Put the money back where it belongs!" Sasuke ordered.

Wario grinned. "What Wario finds, Wario owns! You better say bye-bye to your cash, little ninja!"

"N-not if I can help it," Sasuke protested and jumped at Wario.

But the greedy anti-hero was a proficient fighter as well.

He jumped into the air just as Sasuke was going to attack him... then he let him taste his powerful ground pound.

Sasuke had not even the time to gasp as Wario's massive weight pressed all air out of his lungs. With a satisfied grin, Wario climbed off the twitching ninja's backside and grabbed his feet.

"Now to send you for a little ride!" he laughed and started swinging Sasuke around and around.

The ninja servant of House Kuno felt as if his lunch was finding its way back out. "Stooooop..." he whined. "I'm gonna puuuuke... Leggoooo..."

Wario grinned evilly. "Well, if-a you insist... have a rotten day!" And he hurled the dazed ninja right out of the window.

He smiled. "That takes-a care of that!" He shouldered his sack, enjoying the jingling of the coins inside. "Now for the thing Kamek sent me for..."

A few minutes later, he found Kodachi's room... and the black rose that was standing in a vase next to it. He grinned. "Now that was easy!"

He reached into his sack and pulled out a small capsule in which he carefully put the rose. "One flower for Kamek, a big amount of dough for ol' Wario!"

Then he turned around to leave... and froze when he looked at the furious face of Kodachi Kuno.

"You... you ugly little dwarf!" she seethed. "You could have taken my brother's bokken... you could have taken my father's riches... you could even have taken all of that AND beat up our ninja servant. But I'll never, NEVER allow you to run off with my most precious belonging! NOW GIVE IT BACK!"

Wario grinned, turned around... and let off some gas.

While Kodachi had to retch and hold her nose, Wario ran off with his loot, proclaiming: "Wario wins!"

He jumped on top of the stairway's handrail, slid down to the first floor and ran over to the exit. He opened the door... and froze.

He didn't know the pig-tailed youngster or the kimono-clad lady... but he clearly recognized Toad and the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Ranma frowned. "Who's that?"

Toad gasped. "It's Wario!"

The fat scoundrel laughed. "That's-a right! It's-a Wii, Wario!!"


	3. Black Rose or Black Koopa?

Wario grinned. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have cash that-a waits to be stored away in my castle... Smell ya later!"

He knocked Toad away with a sudden Dash Attack, knocking the tiny Mushroom guy against the nearest wall. Dizzily, he stumbled to the ground, his cap sliding off his huge mushroom head.

Ranma looked at Toad and the fleeing Wario in confusion. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"R-ranma-sama..." a familiar voice mumbled. Kodachi came stumbling out of the house, holding her hand over her mouth. "S-stop that greedy dwarf... he stole my precious rose... along with my father's money, but that's not as important."

"Kodachi?" Ranma asked. "What's wrong with you?"

The black-haired girl retched. "I... I've been the victim of the most foul smell I've ever smelt in my life... n-not even my poisons would have that effect... but I'll be fine... URP! As long as you hunt down that abominable thief..."

Well, Ranma may not like Kodachi too much, but he would never get a thief away like that. Besides, he also had a bone to pick with him to just knocking the boy away like that...

"I'll be back in a minute!" Ranma grumbled as he ran after the yellow-capped thief. Catching up with him shouldn't be too difficult.

After all, all he had to do was to follow that stench...

After Ranma was gone, Peach looked at Kodachi with worry. "Are you okay?"

"I will be... but I think I'll sit down for a while."

"Oh sure, ignore the poor little mushroom guy..." Toad mumbled, his eyes spinning circles. "Did anyone get the number of that truck...?"

Kimiko, on the other hand...

"Are you... are you Kodachi Kuno?"

"Indeed I am," Kodachi nodded. "Please ignore the state I'm in... Acting in a dignified manner isn't easy when confronted with such a horrid stench... You won't happen to have a bucket or something similar with you?"

As if on cue, Sasuke appeared next to his young mistress, carrying an iron bucket. "Here, Miss Kodachi! Please forgive me, the intruder took me completely by surprise..."

"Well, if he incapacitated you by using his horrible odor, you may be excused..." Kodachi mumbled, leaning over the bucket.

When her stomach had calmed down, she looked up at the kimono-clad lady. From her garments, Kodachi would guess that she was a member of another noble house. "I'm sorry, but did we meet before?"

"In a... in a way of speaking, yes, we did!" Kimiko smiled nervously at the pony-tailed girl. "Kodachi... this might be difficult to explain, but... I'm your mother!"

Kodachi blinked.

Then she leaned over the bucket. "HHUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRGGGHHHH!!"

----

Wario looked back over his shoulder. "Damn, this-a youngster is a fast one... how do I shake him?"

Suddenly, he noticed a figure standing in front of him. He stopped. "Who...?"

The diminutive, wrinkled old man sneered at the fat scoundrel. "So, a new face in town, eh? Did you do anything to upset my favorite student?"

Wario grimaced. "Well, if he's-a your student, you should tell him to leave me alone, I'm just a little burglar on the run."

"I know... I observed your whole operation. I must say, the way you took care of that ninja servant... not too shabby. But I'm afraid that won't help you much when dealing with Ranma... he's almost a good fighter as I am. So when he catches up with you, there won't be much you could do to save yourself..."

Wario rubbed his chin. "So, what do you suggest?"

Happosai smirked. "Weeeell, if you might just be willing to leave a small bit of your loot to me, I might just be tempted to kep Ranma off your back... just long enough for you to flee."

Wario scratched his head. He could tell this old geezer was a powerful fighter, and if he was that boy's master...

"We have a deal!" he grinned, showing off his oversized teeth.

Happosai smiled. "Excellent! Just leave my fee behind and I'll take care of everything."

Wario pulled a smaller bag out of his sack and threw it to the ground with a grin. "It-a was a pleasure doing business-a with you!" Then he started running again.

Just before Happosai could pick up his reward, Ranma arrived at the scene. "Yo, old freak! Did ya see an ugly guy with yellow clothes, a fat tummy and a weird mustache running by?"

Happosai chuckled. "Why, Ranma! You must know me good enough to know that I won't just give information away like that. Give me a good reason and I might just tell you where he went..."

"Enough with the games, old freak, where did he go?"

"You didn't say the magic wooord..." Happosai said in a melodic voice.

"You little... Oh, whatever, I'll find him without you!"

Just as he was going to leave, his danger sense made him jump up in the air, just as two firecrackers exploded underneath him.

"Ranma, don't be so rude!" Happosai sneered as he lighted yet another one of his explosive projectiles. "Just ignoring me... How could you treat your master like that?"

"You're not my master!" Ranma shouted in an angry voice. All right, if the old pervert wanted a fight, he got one. "Moko Takabisha!"

"Too slow, Ranma!" Happosai cackled as he jumped away. "Why don't you just cool off for a while?"

Ranma had barely time to gasp when the aged master of Anything Goes pulled a water balloon out of nowhere and threw it at him.

The pig-tailed girl looked down at her wet shirt in annoyance. Happosai laughed. "Ranma-chan, how nice to see the two of you!" And he jumped right at the redhead's bosom.

"Stay away from me, you creep!" Ranma yelled, trying to hit Happosai with her fist.

"Missed me! Missed me! Missed me!" Happosai chuckled gleefully as he jumped all over the street.

"Ah, can't you just go and bother someone else?" Ranma shouted. "I have to catch that thief."

"Why, did he steal your underwear?"

"Not every thief is as perverted as you!" Ranma said as he kicked at the ancient pervert. "He stole from Kodachi!"

"Ah, the Kuno girl!" Happosai nodded as he ducked under Ranma's feet. "So, you do have some feelings for her after all?"

"No way!" Ranma yelled, increasing her speed with the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. "But it's a martial artist's duty to help others, even if it's Kodachi. And I can't stand freaks with no honor... such as you!"

Happosai winced when one of Ranma's fists actually connected with his face, hurling him a bit backwards.

"Well, this is getting boring..." he muttered, skipped over to where the small bag was lying and jumped up on a wall. "Besides, I already got what I wanted. And my job is done after all, you couldn't possibly catch up with that guy any more."

"You distracted me long enough so he could flee?" Ranma asked. "Why, you dirty, little... why did you do that?"

Happosai looked down at Ranma with a sneer. "It's all about business, my boy! And why shouldn't I help him if he promised me a bag full of lovely..." He opened the bag. "Garlic?"

Happosai sniffed and grimaced at the acrid smell coming from the bag. "What in the world... where's my money?"

Ranma laughed. "So he tricked you? Well, deserves you right!"

Happosai threw the bag with garlic away and clenched his fist. "No one... no one swindles Happosai and gets away with it," he said darkly. He then gestured ahead. "Ranma, get that bastard! He went that way! Don't let him escape! Make him pay! Make him suffer! Make him..."

"All right already, but I'll do it because he's a scoundrel, not because of you!"

----

"Woof woof!" Shirokuro greeted her young master in excitement, while Ryoga still stared dumbfounded at the green dinosaur and the two strangers.

Especially at the green dinosaur.

Yoshi noticed how the boy was looking at him and waved at him. "Yoshi!"

Ryoga then looked at Mario and Kensuke. "Who the heck are you guys?"

Kensuke smiled when he saw the young human who could only be his son. He could see the black-spotted bandana... yes, this had to be Ryoga.

"Ry... Ryoga?" he asked. "Is that really you?"

"Um, yes, I'm Ryoga Hibiki!" he nodded. "But... I have absolutely no idea who you could be. Are you... are you old friends of my parents?"

"Um, no... not really. My name is Ken... Kensuke, and these are my friends Mario and Yoshi."

"Ah... okay, and why are you here?"

Kensuke looked at Mario helplessly. How was he going to tell his son the truth?

Mario cleared his throat. He wasn't exactly the best with words, but he could always give it a try. "Well, my boy... did your parents ever tell you where you came from?"

Ryoga facefaulted. "This isn't going to be the talk about the 'birds and the bees', right?"

Mario sweatdropped. "Um, no, that-a wasn't exactly what I had in mind..."

"Ryoga!" Kensuke said. "Can you... can you remember anything from when you were a baby?"

"A baby? Well, let's see..." The eternally lost boy scratched his head. "Nope, can't say I can. But wait... you aren't some sort of long lost friend of the family, are you?"

"Not... exactly," Kensuke replied. "I must say I have never met your... parents before. But, Ryoga... Did your parents ever tell you about how they found you?"

"Found me?" Ryoga laughed. "My parents have the tendency to get lost, as much as I do. If they found anything, it must have been mere luck. And by the way, as far as I know, you don't just find a baby. There are other ways of getting a child, if you can follow me!"

"Nooo, that's not what I meant..." Kensuke sighed in desperation. "Ryoga, you were adopted!"

Ryoga stared at the blonde man for a while, then he started laughing.

"It's the truth!" Kensuke insisted.

"Aw, come on!" Ryoga snorted. "You don't really expect me to believe that, do you? I believe my parents would have told me by now if something like that..."

Suddenly, the door behind them opened up yet again. Shirokuro barked joyfully when she recognized the other persons that came in.

The middle-aged woman smiled when she entered and saw Ryoga. "Oh, Ryoga! Are you finally home for once? What a coincidence!"

"Now that's a surprise," her husband grinned when he entered the house behind her. "That all of us manage to get home at the exact same time for once. This truly must a a very special occasion and..."

Mr. Hibiki blinked. "Um, Ryoga... are those your friends?"

"Mom? Dad?" Ryoga really was overwhelmed now. He rarely got the chance to see his parents, as they were getting lost at least as much as he does.

"Ah, so you must-a be Mr. and Mrs. Hibiki!" Mario said and shook the surprised parents' hands. "It's-a pleasure to meet you!"

"Oh, the pleasure is all ours," Mrs. Hibiki smiled a bit uncertainly. "Honey, did you ever meet...?"

"We haven't met before, ma'am," Kensuke said. "But believe me when I tell you that we have a 'mutual friend', so to speak. By the way, my name is Kensuke Koopa."

"And who could that be?" Mr. Hibiki asked with a frown.

Kensuke smiled when he looked at a certain bandana-clad boy. "Ryoga, of course!"

"Heeeyyy, wait a minute!" Ryoga raised his hands defensively. "I told you I never met you guys before! Mom, Dad, you got to believe me. Those guys have already told a bunch of crazy stuff... they told me I would be just adopted..."

"Oh!" Mrs. Hibiki suddenly gasped. "Oh... Oh my..." Her legs suddenly felt weak. "I think I should sit down for a while..."

Her husband sighed. "After all those years... and we never had the chance to tell you, boy..."

"What? What?" Ryoga looked back and froth between his parents. "You can't be serious... you really wanna tell me that I was... adopted?"

"We wanted to tell you, Ryoga," Mrs. Hibiki sighed. "But you know how it is... we got lost so often, it was a wonder that we could take care of you at all."

"We have to thank Shirokuro for this," Mr. Hibiki smiled. "Even back when she was a pup, she was able to care for you and the house, while we were away... she even made sure that you didn't get lost yourself... at least not until you got older."

"This can't be happening..." Ryoga groaned as he sat down on a chair. "And I never knew..."

"Let me guess, you found him on a doorstep, right?" Kensuke asked with a smile. "And he was lying within a basket that was shaped like a turtle shell..."

"Why, yes!" Mrs. Hibiki said in surprise. "But why..."

Her eyes suddenly grew sad. "Of course... I see now, so you must be..."

"I'm afraid I am," Kensuke sighed and looked at his son.

"What... do you mean?" Ryoga murmured.

Kensuke spread his arms. "Ryoga... you are my son! I am... your father!"

"But... but how... I mean, why... this is so sudden!"

"I know, I know," Kensuke sighed. "But, you know... your mother and I, we never stopped thinking about you ever since we had to give you away."

"You... you're not here to take him away from us, are you?" Mrs. Hibiki asked in a worried tone of voice.

"Of course not!" Kensuke protested. "Besides, Ryoga is old enough to make his own decisions. But on the other hand, he is also old enough to finally learn the full truth, wouldn't you think?"

"Yes, you are right," Mr. Hibiki sighed.

"So, if I am actually your son... why did you abandon me like that?"

"There were certain... circumstances that forced us to do what we never wanted to do. You should have seen your mother when she had to give you and your sister away..."

"Whoa, whoa, my what?? Don't tell me that on top of everything, I have a..."

"A twin sister," Kensuke nodded. "Her name is Kodachi."

"Koda... chi...? Ha... Hahahahahahah!" By now, Ryoga was laughing out loud. "Oh, that really is priceless! Bwahahahah! I almost believed you, but having Kodachi as a sister..."

"Ryoga, what's gotten into you?" his adoptive mother protested. "Stop being so rude to our guest. He is your true father, after all."

"Oh, sure he is..." Ryoga snickered. "So, whatever did he do so you would play along, Mom?"

"Ryoga, this isn't a joke!" Kensuke said. "I don't know how you got to know her before we came, but whatever you may have heard about her, whatever she did... she is your sister. And I am your father!"

"Oh, yeah? Then tell me, whatever made you bring Kodachi and me to completely different parents? Heehee... imagine, Kodachi not being the principal's daughter? Everyone knows that insanity runs in that family..."

Now Kensuke was worried for both of his children, but before he could take care of Kodachi, he had to make his son believe him. "Ryoga... the day we had to give you away, I gave you a very special item... a yellow bandana with black spots."

Ryoga stopped laughing. His hands reached for the bandana that was tied around his head. "Wha...? You mean this...?"

"It was already tied around your head when we found you in that strange turtle crib, Ryoga," Mr. Hibiki said.

"But... but I... I don't understand!" Ryoga winced. "I always had the feeling that this bandana... it was a special gift from my parents. One that would always lead me back home..."

"It is, Ryoga!" Kensuke said. "I told you these exact words the moment I gave you away. Ryoga... I had to give it to you. I knew all about your curse..."

"You know about Jusenkyo?" Ryoga wondered.

Kensuke and Mario exchanged confused glances. "Jusenky-what?" Mario asked.

"I'm talking about your bad sense of direction," Kensuke explained.

"Oh, THAT curse... but wait, I thought that trait was because of Mom and Dad..."

Kensuke looked at the elder Hibiki pair. "Mr. Hibiki... did you and your wife always had a bad sense of direction?"

"No..." Mrs. Hibiki whispered. "No, only after... after Ryoga entered our life. We always thought..."

Her husband clutched his head. "We thought this... this was the price we had to pay, the price for such a precious gift as the small child we found on our doorstep. We decided to accept it, because nothing made us more happy than being a mother and father."

"And... every time we managed to come home... and see Ryoga's face again," Mrs. Hibiki sobbed. "It made it worthwhile..."

"I see..." Kensuke murmured. "So the curse that had been put on Ryoga did spread after all..."

"Who did it?" Ryoga stood up and made his hands into fists. "Who cursed me and my parents? Even if they are my adoptive parents, I'll make anyone who made them suffer like that pay!"

He knew that his bad sense of direction was a curse. There wasn't a day on the road that wasn't fraught with misery, as he never knew when he was able to come back home or to see his parents again..."

"It-a was a wizard named Kamek..." Mario said. "He's-a from the same world we are coming from..."

"Okay, then show me the... What? Did you just say 'world'?"

"I guess it's time you learn everything about your past," Kensuke sighed. "See, I'm not really from Japan... we're not even residents of Earth..."

"You are Aliens?" Mrs. Hibiki asked in awe.

Ryoga looked at Yoshi. "Is that the reason why there is a green dinosaur in our living room right now?"

Kensuke nodded. "The world we are from is known as the 'Mushroom Kingdom'... although there are several other kingdoms on it as well. And actually, there are very few human residents in that kingdom... Mario here is one of them."

"And so are you, obviously," Ryoga assumed.

But his true father shook his head. "No, Ryoga, I'm not! And neither is your mother. See... the form you see me in right now is just a disguise... a camouflage so we would avoid causing a commotion. And Kensuke isn't really my actual name... my true name is Kenny. Kenny Koopa, member of the Koopa race."

"What's a 'Koopa'?" Ryoga asked nervously.

He reached for the red belt that was being tied around his belly. "It's the same race you and your sister originally belonged to... Now don't be alarmed, you will be pretty shocked by what happens now..."

He unfastened the belt's clasp, and in a flash of light, his stature changed. His height decreased dramatically, while a thick, yellow shell appeared around his body. His clothes draped themselves around his now smaller body, while all of his hair vanished.

Ryoga and his parents stared at the bipedal, taking turtle that was standing on front of him.

"This is what we really are, Ryoga!" Kenny said. "We are Koopas. Magic allowed us to take on the forms of humans... but if we remove the magic..." He gestured at the belt he was still holding. "We take on our original form."

Ryoga blinked. "I'm adopted... my parents are not my real parents... Kodachi is my sister... and my real parents are a pair of talking TURTLES?"

For a while, he wasn't able to say anything else.

Mario snapped his fingers in front of Ryoga's face. No reaction.

"I think-a you broke his brain."

"I already thought he wouldn't take it too well..." Kenny sighed. "Oh well, it was worth a try..."

"Why?" Mrs. Hibiki asked. "Why didn't you come earlier? Why today of all days? And why not if not to take him back with you?"

"I'm sorry," Kenny said and bowed his head apologetically. "But you see... the one who made the decision to leave our cursed children in the care of foster families was the kingdom's chancellor, Sir Toadsworth... and back then, there was no one else there who could have objected. The princess was still a young baby."

"But-a now the princess has learned about what had happened all those-a years ago," Mario explained. "And I can tell you, she wasn't amused at all."

Kenny grinned. "She was so angry at Toadsworth that we were afraid she would throw him across the palace garden... Well, and thanks to Her Highness, we are now allowed to be reunited with our children once again. Well, I guess it's only fair that they get to know where they came from... but if they prefer to stay here on Earth, that's fine with us. As long as we can see them again..."

"Kodachi is cursed as well?" Ryoga suddenly asked.

Kenny nodded. "Yes, didn't I tell you?"

"No... but she isn't lost all the time, so why...?"

"She hasn't quite the same curse as you, Ryoga," Kenny explained. "Kamek cursed her to become as demented and delusional as imaginable."

Ryoga groaned. "Don't tell me... that's the reason why all of her family are that way?"

"Well, either that or they already have been like that before..."

"Is there a way to break the curse?" Ryoga asked.

Kenny blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! That Kamek guy cursed us, so there has to be a way to undo what he did, right?"

"Well... we can't say for sure, but if there is someone who can answer that question, it's-a Kamek," Mario assumed.

"Okay, it's settled!" Ryoga said with determination. "Show me the way to your kingdom, I'm coming with ya!"

"Wh-what?" Mrs. Hibiki asked in surprise. "Ryoga, you..."

"Listen, Mom, as far as I am concerned, you and Dad are my parents. You are all I ever knew in my life... I might just accept Kenny and his wife as a second set of parents, so problem with that. And I still want to live here in Nerima, but..." He gritted his teeth. "Someone put a curse on me, my parents and my sister, and I'm going to make him undo whatever he did... and if he doesn't, he'll be sorry!"

Kenny felt relieved. He knew Ryoga would probably never settle down in the Mushroom Kingdom, but at least he was willing to give him and Kimmy a chance.

Now if he could only talk him out of going after Kamek...

"Listen, Ryoga," Mario suddenly said. "Me and my brother Luigi, we are used to fighting evil Koopas like-a Kamek. Also, we are pretty familiar with the guy who owns the castle Kamek is living in... so why don't you leave that to us while you stay home like a good boy?"

"I'm not as helpless as you think!" Ryoga snapped. "To your information, I'm a strong martial artist and there aren't many people that have managed to beat me yet... Well, except for Ranma..." he muttered. "Curse you, Ranma..."

"Oh..." The heroic plumber was taken aback. "Well, in that case..."

"It's still dangerous," Kenny insisted. "Ryoga, Kamek knows about you and your curse. He also knows how to use a man's weakness against him. That's why he always threatened me whenever he wanted to force your mother into doing something. And that's the reason why he cursed our children when he actually hated me and Kimmy..."

"Kimmy?" Ryoga smirked. "That's Mom's name, huh? Okay, I promise I won't be too reckless... but I'm telling you, I will go there and take care of Kamek."

"I already thought so..." Kenny sighed. "You are as headstrong as your mother... very well, but before you go, we still have to meet your sister... and there's something else you need to know."

"What is that?"

"You understood that this magic belt was all that allowed me to have a human form, right?"

"Yes, but why...?"

"Ryoga, back when you were brought to Earth, we had to turn you and Kodachi into humans as well. You didn't believe that a pair of Koopas could give birth to a human, did you?"

"B-but that would make me a..." He gulped. "A t-turtle as well..."

"Not just a turtle, Ryoga! A Koopa! And the only thing that keeps you from turning back is..."

Ryoga reached up and felt the bandana around his head. "Lemme guess..." he murmured. "This thing, right?"

Kenny nodded. "Yes, that thing!"

Ryoga took a deep breath. "Okay... I guess now is a time as good as any to do it... after all, I will have to take it off sometimes, right?"

"That's-a the spirit!" Mario cheered.

Ryoga gulped nervously and slowly, reached up to untie the black-spotted bandana...

----

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!" A shrill scream echoed throughout the Kuno manor. "What happened to my face? MY BEAUTIFUL FACE?"

"Well, we tried to tell you," Peach sighed. "It is the rose who locked you in your human form, and only by sniffing it every morning could you prevent that you turned back into a Koopa..."

"I'm hideous..." the black-shelled, pony-tailed Koopa girl sniffed as she looked into the mirror. A yellow, scaly turtle face was looking back at her.

"I'm not a Kuno..." she sobbed. "Th-this can't be... I'M NOT A KUNOOOOO!!!"

Next to the princess, a middle-aged Koopa woman with a black shell and retractable spikes was standing. She was sniffling as well... but in her case, they were tears of joy.

"My girl... you turned out so beautiful..."

Toad grinned from where Sasuke was helpfully putting a wet cloth on his hurt mushroom head. "Just like her mother..."

Sasuke groaned. "This won't end well, I already know it... Oh, Miss Kodachi, whatever will your father and brother say...?"


	4. The Hammer Sisters

"Please..." Kodachi sobbed. "Please tell me you have a cure for this curse..."

Kimmy was appalled. How could her own daughter reject her origin like that? "Dear..." she said carefully. "It's all right! If you decide to keep living here on earth, I can understand that. And even if that nice boy doesn't get the rose back, I'm sure Merlon will find another way of helping you..."

"I'm not your 'DEAR'!" the distraught Koopa girl yelled. "Even if you gave birth to me, I refuse to accept a horrible creature like yourself as my mother!"

Kimmy gasped and stumbled backwards. Had Toad not caught her, she would have fallen over on her black shell.

Peach and Sasuke looked at each other, uncertain on how they should act in such a situation.

"Maybe... maybe we can find something of use within the ?-Box we took along with us," Peach then spoke up. "Toad, if you would..."

"Right away, princess!" the little mushroom guy nodded and reached into his pocket. "Um... uh-oh!"

"Uh-oh?" Kodachi asked with a shaky voice. "What do you mean, 'uh-oh'? There isn't supposed to be any 'uh-oh'!"

Toad gulped. "Well, I hate to say this, but... I seem to have misplaced the item box."

The princess sighed. "Oh, Toad..."

Her servant uncomfortably looked down to his feet. "I must have left it behind when we met that boy... I'm sorry, princess!"

"Toad, you are not supposed to call me that!"

Kodachi blinked in surprise. A princess?

----

"Eeeeee!" the pink-clad girl with the inline skates squealed as she jumped up and down, clutching the yellow box with the question mark to her chest. "What a find! All of these cute things inside! I will take them along and give every single one of them a cute name..."

She knocked against the box from the underside, and a brown leaf came out of it.

"Oooooh!" Nerima's resident kleptomaniac said with awe. "Little Azusa is wondering whatever you could do, little Catherine..."

She picked up the leaf... and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Instead, Azusa found that suddenly, she had grown a pair of raccoon ears and a fitting tail.

"How cuuuuuute!" she squealed. She stroked the tail's fur. "Ooooh, that feels nice."

"Excuse me..." a voice behind her spoke up.

"GAH!" Azusa yelped and turned around sharply. "Don't startle Azusa like that!"

Her new raccoon tail whipped around... and hit the person that was standing behind her right in the face.

Nabiki let out a chocked gasp as she got thrown backwards. Luckily, she landed in the bushes of a nearby garden.

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped. "Are you hurt, Nabiki?"

"I'll live, sis..." Nabiki's voice came out of the bushes. "But can you take the number of that truck that hit me...?"

"Did I do that?" Azusa wondered and looked at her tail. She grinned. "I can't wait to find out what my other darlings will do!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Akane yelled as she suddenly appeared next to Azusa and snatched the box out of her hands. "I remember that stuff, that's where that pink-clad girl got the mushroom from that made her grow!"

"Give that back!" the girl with the pink dress demanded. "Those are Azusa's little darlings!"

"Who knows what you'll do with those weird things," Akane grumbled. "I'd rather not take any chances, thank you very much!"

Azusa frowned. "Give them back, or I'll introduce you to little Jean!"

"Oh! Is that a new friend of yours, Azusa-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"Stop asking stupid questions and help me up already!" Nabiki shouted from within the bushes.

"Listen, I don't have time for this!" Akane told the kleptomaniac. "I'm on my way to Furinkan to see whatever is going on... OOF!"

Being hit by her own mallet had to feel similar like this, Akane thought, when she was thrown backwards by the whipping raccoon tail that hit her chest.

Azusa hugged her striped tail. "Good job, Jean!"

Nabiki rubbed her head after Kasumi helped her up back to her feet. "Hey, stop whipping that thing around already before anyone gets hurt!"

Azusa looked at the two older Tendo sisters. "Are you going to take away Azusa's cuties? I think not!"

Nabiki gulped when she saw how Azusa was taking aim with her tail, once again. "I'm starting to think that coming along with Akane was a bad idea, Kasumi..."

"Strange..." Kasumi blinked. "Wasn't it your idea to come along and see if you can shoot any pictures you can sell for an appropriate price?"

Nabiki winced. "Well, maybe..."

Kasumi then reached down and picked up the ?-Box. "Oh, Akane dropped this... I wonder what's in there..."

"Heeeeyyy!" Azusa whined as Kasumi moved down to pick up the box, making her tail miss its target. "No fair moving around like that! Hold still already!"

"Oops!" Kasumi said as she accidentally hit the underside of the box and two objects came falling out. "Strange, I wonder what this is..."

Nabiki looked at the weird turtle shell, the helmet and the hammer. "Well, only one way to find out..."

And she and her sister reached down to take the two Hammer Suits...

Akane shook her head and stood up from the ground. "All right..." she muttered. "This really isn't my day... That's the second time somebody has flung me around like this..." Her gaze the fell upon her two sisters... and when she saw their new outfits, the only thing she could say was: "Holy CRAP!"

Kasumi and Nabiki looked down at the turtle-themed armor they were currently wearing. Kasumi then reached up and felt the solid helmet that had appeared on her head. "Oh my..." she murmured. "Hopefully this doesn't ruin my hair."

Nabiki reached behind the shell on her back... and grinned when she was able to produce a hammer.

She grinned as she threw the hammer up into the air and caught it again. "Well, let's see who can handle a hammer better this time, little sis..."

Azusa laughed nervously. "You're... not going to hit me with that, are you?" she asked.

Kasumi smiled. "Oh no, we would never do that!"

Azusa let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, in that case..."

Kasumi smirked. "We'll just... throw them at you!"

The raccoon-tailed girl gulped.

----

"Whaaaaah! Little Azusa doesn't like this gaaaaame!" the pink-clad skater screamed as she zipped away from the two shell-clad, hammer-throwing girls.

Akane looked at her two sisters with envy. How come they could throw those hammers so skillfully? And where did they get so many? She only managed to conjure up just one...

"You never told me you were this good with the hammers," she whined.

"Eh, I really dunno how this happened," Nabiki shrugged as she stopped throwing her weapons. "But ya know, maybe it just runs in the family..."

Kasumi smiled. "I might be wrong, but I knew how to use these hammers ever since I wore this cute little outfit. Maybe we only know how to do it as long as we are wearing it."

"That might be true... but I still prefer my theory," Nabiki mumbled.

Akane picked up the ?-Box and looked at it. "You know, I was going to see what happened at school anyway... but now that you can use these hammers as good as..." She winced. "Okay, even BETTER than me... And in addition, we've got this nifty little box full of tools... Why don't you come along and help me?"

Her sisters looked at each other, then Nabiki shrugged. "Why not? I was going to go there anyway..."

Kasumi nodded. "This looks like it's going to be fun."

----

Somewhere, on another planet, in a dark valley...

An enormous fortress made of stone, placed upon a huge rock spire in the middle of a hot lake of molten lava...

In the deepest chamber of the castle's dungeon, surrounded by candles, flasks, books and stinking reagents...

The wizened Magikoopa chuckled as he looked down into the bubbling depths of his cauldron. "Soon enough," he grinned. "Soon enough my rebellious daughter and that traitor she married won't be able to resist me any more... and I will have my revenge!"

He took something out of his belt pouch, crumbled it with his wrinkly old hands and threw it into the gurgling potion. "I didn't manage to convince my own flesh and blood of my perception, lost her for our cause... but maybe I'll have more luck with my grandchildren!"

It made sense, more than often certain genes skip a generation... maybe even the gene that made a Koopa do evil things.

Hopefully this gene would appear in both his grandson and granddaughter.

"As soon as they have embraced their true heritage, they will become true soldiers of the mighty army of Bowser!"

His grandson was already a powerful warrior, and his granddaughter seemed to have an affinity for herbs and potions... maybe he could make her his apprentice?

"As soon as my allies have returned with the artifacts that have forced them to take on a human appearance, they will have no choice but to come back to the Mushroom Kingdom! They have to, because who would ever accept such creatures as they are on Earth? The only place they are welcomed in is this world... And once they're here, I will show them that my way is the only way to do things..."

"Yo, gramps?" a loud voice yelled from the top of the stairs that were leading down into his study. "You down there?"

Kamek gritted his teeth. Couldn't he spend at least one hour to prepare for his revenge without having one of Bowser's insolent brats come down and ruin his day?

The door opened and a pair of multi-colored mohawks appeared.

The old Magikoopa sighed. Of course! It just had to be the disastrous duo... Iggy and Lemmy Koopa, the two most pathetic members of Koopa society... in Kamek's opinion, at least!

Lemmy gave him a mad grin as he came bouncing down the stairs on his beloved rubber ball. His twin brother adjusted his spectacles and followed him.

"Yo, gramps!" Lemmy said as his ball came to a stop in front of him. "What's cooking?"

"A huge amount of things, I'd say," Iggy chuckled as he peered into the cauldron. "Watcha making? A new potion?"

"What are you buffoons doing down here?" Kamek demanded to know. "Don't you have anything better to do? Why don't you go and bother your siblings?"

"Aww, but they aren't as fun to hang out with as you, old pal!" Lemmy grinned. "You preparing something for Pops?"

"This is of no concern of yours! Now leave, not everyone can play all the day such as you two. There are adults that actually have work to do."

Iggy took a sniff. "What's that smell? Smells like garlic, Koopa Leaves and... yeees, that's just a hint of stardust in there, right? Must be a pretty potent potion if you're using that stuff! Anything we can do to help?"

Kamek huffed. "You and help? You'd break anything you touch!"

Iggy looked hurt. "I may not look like it, but I am actually quite the capable potion brewer, old man! Are you sure you don't want me to take a look at it?"

Kamek smirked. "What, you want to learn something from old boy Kamek?"

Iggy hesitated for a while, then he shrugged. "Sure, why not? I mean, you are the most capable Magikoopa in our Dad's army... even though he made you stay in the dungeons for years."

The aged Koopa grimaced. "That's not my fault..." he muttered. "If not for my good-for-nothing sister, I would still be his right hand."

"Well, yeah, we all know that you and old Kammy don't see eye to eye..." Lemmy shrugged. "But then again, I can't blame you. She's one ugly witch, isn't she?"

"So, what do you say?" Iggy asked once again. "Can I help you?"

Kamek looked at Iggy's half-crazy twin brother and his rolling eyes. "Are you planning on keeping him around?"

"Sure thing," Iggy nodded. "We're a pair, we always do everything together!"

"Yeah!" Lemmy giggled madly. "The only way a girl can go out with one of us is taking us both at once... or she can always ask for a double date, if she has a cute girlfriend."

"I doubt any of you morons would get a girlfriend in your life..." Kamek muttered. "Sorry, my boy, but I don't want to have this clown in my study." His index finger pointed at Lemmy.

"Hey, but I'm already here!" Lemmy protested.

Kamek grinned. "Oh, are you? I guess I must correct that mistake then..."

And he pulled out his trusty old wand and zapped the twin brothers with his magic. In two flashes of light, they disappeared.

"That should take care of them..." he murmured. "I really hate these Koopalings! Now, where was I?"

----

"Iggy? Hey, Iggy, where are you?"

Lemmy gulped as he looked down. He was balancing on the highest spire of the eastern castle wall, directly above the lava channel. If he made just one wrong step...

He sighed. "I hate that old coot..." he murmured. "Well, wherever he sent Iggy, it can't be as bad as up here..."

----

WHAP!

"GET OUT!" a shrill voice screeched while Iggy's head got clonked with the mop. "OUT, I SAY!"

"But sis..." Iggy protested as he ran away from an erratic, female Koopa, who was clad in nothing but a pink towel. "Sis, let me explain... ouch!"

"You perv!" Wendy O. Koopa snarled as she continued to chase her brother through the bathroom. "Spying on me like that... me, your own sister! You're even worse than MORTON!"

WHAP! "You don't understand!" WHAP! "It was Kamek..." WHAP! "I just wanted... OOF!"

A swift kick to his behind sent him flying out of the room.

"Wait until I tell Pops of this!" Wendy yelled before slamming the door shut. "Boys..." she grumbled as she slipped on her shell. "They're all the same..."

----

"Please look into the mirror, darling!" Kimmy said in a soft voice.

Kodachi stubbornly shook her head.

"Please? Just do it for me..."

"I refuse to take a look at my visage until I've turned back into a human, they way I am supposed to be!"

Kimmy sighed. "It's no use..."

Peach saw how sad her Koopa friend was and approached Kodachi tactfully. "Miss Kodachi... why won't you at least do your mother a favor? You don't have to spend the rest of your life as a Koopa, but... couldn't you at least take a look at yourself?"

"I've seen enough!" the young Koopa snapped. "I am a beast, an abomination, a creature that isn't supposed to exist! And whoever this... WOMAN (she spat the word) is, I know one thing for sure: I won't ever accept her as my mother!"

"Kodachi, I... I know I can't possibly ever be a replacement for your mother... that job has been taken over by Mrs. Kuno, after all... but I want..."

"My mother died when I was a young child..." Kodachi whispered. "I never had a chance to get to know her, and all memories I have only show me how she had to suffer from the madness of my demented father..."

Sasuke, who had listened to the entire conversation, decided not to mention that his young mistress herself wasn't entirely the most, ehem... mentally stable person he knew. Still, he was a loyal servant to the house of Kuno and it was his duty to support every family member.

"Miss Kodachi..." he carefully spoke up. "I don't understand... wouldn't you be glad to take another chance... to get to know her? To take your chance with her as a 'new' mother?"

"I don't need her!" Kodachi yelled. "I can hardly remember the woman who raised me and now you tell me to shove her even more into the background? Never!!"

"But Miss Kodachi..."

"Silence, Sasuke! How dare you talk to me like that? As our servant, you have no right to tell me what to do!"

Sasuke winced. Even if his young mistress' voice was coming out of a bipedal turtle's mouth, she was scary in an intimidating way. "Yes, Mistress Kodachi..."

Toad looked at the ninja retainer with pity. He knew how hard it could be to be a servant...

"I understand your feelings and I certainly don't want to intrude," Kimmy spoke up after a moment of silence. "But I want to ensure you that it was never my intention to belittle your memories of your adoptive mother. But I'd like to understand... why is it that you see our race in... in such a horrible way?"

"Animals aren't supposed to talk!" Kodachi huffed. "Humans are the peak of evolution, such as members of nobility are above the lesser peasants!"

Kimmy was taken aback by that outburst. She was shocked... how could any living being degrade creatures like that? While racism and degradation did exist in the Mushroom World, the multiple races and intelligent species made the people think twice before they judged a person because of its appearance.

Sasuke came close to the shocked Koopa woman and whispered: "Miss Kodachi was never told that she was accepted. Both she and Master Kuno were raised as descendants of a long line of nobility... they were told their ancestors were Samurai! And that, combined with the slightly... eccentric behavior of their father must be the reason why they believe themselves to be above everyone else." Normally, the ninja had never talked about his masters that way, but he was getting more and more worried about Miss Kodachi's sanity, so he spoke out the words he had always wanted to say, but always was too afraid of to speak out loud.

Kimmy sighed and put the bracelet she had removed from her wrist earlier back on. Her figure shimmered and she seemingly turned back into the human form Merlon's magical artifact had given her.

Back in her disguise as Kimiko, she smiled at her daughter nervously. "Would you... accept me if I would look like this?"

Kodachi turned around... and her turtle beak gaped open as she took a closer look at her mother.

Earlier, when she had chased Wario, and afterwards, when she was busy hurling into a metal bucket, she didn't really have the chance to closely look at Kimiko very closely, but now...

"You look... just like my mother..." she murmured as she recalled an image from her childhood, when the now deceased Mrs. Kuno had covered her with a blanket and told her a bedtime story.

Hope was rising within Kimiko's chest when she saw how her daughter looked at her. Maybe she would, given some time, realize that there was more to a human - or Koopa - than meets the eye. And perhaps she would even see her as the mother she had missed during the past years...

Kodachi turned around and looked into the mirror. She winced when she saw her turtle-face and the black shell upon her back.

But... her eyes were still the same. And it was kinda unusual for a turtle to have wavy, black hair that was cascading down her shell in an elegant ponytail. She turned back to Kimiko and noticed how similar her hair color was.

She then frowned. "I can't promise anything... not as long as I can't turn back into a human being again! But if it was indeed my rose that protected me from the magic that turned me into this, I want to have it back first... then we'll see!"

Kimiko sighed and nodded. She was sad that Kodachi still didn't realize that it was the rose's magic that has turned her into a human in the first place, but she would settle with what she got now.

Peach smiled. "Don't worry! Even if your friend doesn't manage to chase down Wario, we'll help you in any way we can."

Toad tapped his chin. "I wonder..." he murmured. "How did Wario come after us at all?"

Then they looked at each other and gasped.

"The pipe!" Peach said. "He must have followed us through the pipe!" She sighed. "And here I told Toadsworth and Luigi not to let anyone come after us..."

"Let's hope we can find him before he goes back through the pipe, then," Kimiko said. She turned around to face her daughter. "Kodachi... would you like to come with us? Or do you prefer to wait for us back here?"

Kodachi thought about it. Being seen like this in public would be mortifying for her... On the other hand, she wanted to have her rose back as soon as possible... and it wasn't as if anyone would recognize her like this, right?

"I'll accompany you," she said. "I can fight, even if I am not used to this new body yet." She snarled. "No disgusting little dwarf will take my precious possession away from me and get away with it!"

"That's the spirit!" Peach smiled. "I'll help, too!"

"Me, too!" Toad added.

Sasuke bowed down. "Please accept my help as well, Miss Kodachi..."

Suddenly, the doorbell was ringing.

Kodachi gasped. "Oh no! What if this is Tatewaki... or even worse, my father?"

"Let me take a look..." Peach said and went to open the door. When she saw who was standing outside, she opened.

Toad and Kimiko blinked in confusion when Peach was leading Mario, Kenny and a young Koopa they have never seen before into the Kuno's living room.

The youngster stepped forth. He had an unusual pattern on his shell, it was yellow with black spots.

He gave Kimiko an uncertain smile, then he sneered at Kodachi. "I heard you lost something... you still need some help to retrieve it?"

"Who... who are you?" Kimiko muttered, while deep in her heart, she already knew the answer. Kenny gave her a proud grin.

With a big smile, the young Koopa turned to face her. "I am Ryoga Hibiki... it's a pleasure to finally meet you... mother!"


	5. A Gallery of Students

"Well, here we are!"

Akane and her two 'Hammer Sisters' were standing in front of the Furinkan High gates.

Nabiki looked around. "Seems... unusually quiet."

Akane nodded. "Yeah, normally, there would be boys playing on the soccer field, even in the afternoon. And it's Thursday too, the day the Kendo Club normally practices, so we should be able to hear Kuno's ranting coming out of the Kendo Hall. But do you hear anything?"

Nabiki and Kasumi listened. But Akane was right, it was so silent, it was downright spooky.

Kasumi gave her sisters one of her warm 'don't-you-worry' smiles. "Perhaps they are just taking a small break?"

"That wouldn't stop Kuno from ranting..." Akane muttered. "Well, where should we go first?"

They all looked at the Kendo Dojo.

"Um, Kuno-baby can take care of himself," Nabiki decided. "Let's check out the school building first!"

Her sisters agreed.

While they were entering the main building, a small, spherical phantom peered out of some bushes.

The Boo pulled out a small device that looked suspiciously like a little handheld console and pushed a button. "GameBoo here!" he said. "Three more humans have arrived, they just entered the building!"

"Excellent!" came his king's cackling voice out of the Gameboy Horror. "Inform your brother and his partner right away, so they can take care of them... I still need a few lovely paintings for my new, personal chambers, you know? What do they look like?"

"Well, they are all girls..."

GameBoo could almost hear his king's grin. "Are they cute?"

"I'd say so... but two of them are wearing what looks like Hammer Bro gear..."

"Really? Bah, doesn't matter! We'll scare them out of their wits, so they won't get any chance to use their hammers. Inform me when you have captured them!"

"Roger that!" GameBoo nodded. "Over and out!" He pushed the button again and the line went silent.

'Really nifty devices, these Gameboy Horrors," he thought to himself. 'What a stroke of luck that His Majesty managed to snatch the prototype out of E. Gadd's laboratory so we could make our own versions...'

He pushed another button. "Hello, bro? Three chickens have entered the coop, I repeat, three chickens have entered the coop!"

"What coop?" came the irritated voice of his brother. "And why would we be interested in chickens?"

GameBoo sweatdropped. "I meant to say that three humans have entered the building. Take your partner and get them, stupid!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

GameBoo sighed. "Never mind..."

----

The Tendo sisters were walking down one of the school's corridors, past the multiple classrooms.

"Now that's strange..." Akane wondered. "I haven't seen those paintings hanging around here this morning..."

Nabiki walked over to one of the various portraits and looked at it closely. "You know, this one looks suspiciously similar to..."

"Please..." the painting whispered. "Get me out of here!"

Nabiki jumped back in surprise. "Gosunkugi? It IS you!"

"Oh my!" Kasumi said. "Isn't that a classmate of yours, Akane?"

Akane nodded. "How did that happen to you, Hikaru?"

"The... the ghosts trapped me..." the voodoo boy whined. "And not just me... all of the other students as well!"

Akane looked around. Those other portraits did look familiar... She blinked. "Sayuri?"

The pony-tailed girl waved out of her painting. "H-hi there, Akane..." she said sheepishly.

Nabiki frowned. "Ghosts? Now what kind of voodoo ritual did you mess up this time, Gosunkugi?"

"It wasn't me!" Hikaru claimed. "Honestly! They appeared out of nowhere just before everyone was going to leave..."

"Ghosts just don't appear of nowhere," Akane grumbled. That much she already learned from her misadventures with Ranma. "I wonder what's going on..."

"Yooouuuu aaaaare aaallll gooooing toooo DIE!!!" a shrill voice suddenly screeched, in a way that might have been supposed to sound scary, but the results turned out rather... pathetic.

Nabiki just raised an eyebrow when the two Boos appeared out of the wall with scary faces. "What are you trying to personate, flying pillows?"

The two Boos were taken aback. "But... but aren't you AFRAID of us?"

Akane blinked. "Should we?"

"We are BOOS!" the one on the left proclaimed and waved around his stubby arms. "All inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom tremble when they just see a glimpse of us... Well, except maybe Mario..."

"Who are you anyway?" Akane asked. "And why did you trap all those students in paintings?"

"We just follow the orders of our great King Boo!" the right ghost sneered. "You can call me ShamBoo, by the way!"

"Shampoo?"

"No, ShamBOO!" the ghost protested. "With a 'B' in the middle, like in 'Boo'!"

"And I am his partner!" the other Boo cackled. "I am... GAMEBOO ADVANCE!"

Nabiki and Akane facefaulted. "You gotta be kidding me..." Nabiki muttered.

Kasumi smiled. "Oh, I think you are cute!"

The two Boos gasped. "Cute? CUTE?" ShamBoo gasped in shock. "Oh, that does it, my haunting career is over... Just wait until everyone learns that a homely girl like that called me CUTE!"

"There, there..." GameBoo Advance patted his back.

"WHAT did you call my sister?" Akane fumed. "You take that back, you floating bag of ectoplasm!"

"MAKE ME!" GameBoo Advance yelled and stuck out his tongue.

Akane grabbed her hammer. "C'mon, Nabiki..." she grumbled. "I think we need to teach those two ghosts a lesson..."

----

Minutes later, the two Boos were lying on the corridor's floor, with multiple bumps and bruises all over their round little bodies.

"Now would you be so kind and tell us where your king is hiding?" Kasumi asked with a smile as she put down her own hammer.

"Of course..." ShamBoo muttered weakly. "On the top floor, in the principal's room..."

"That's all we need to know," Akane said. "Come on, let's get going!"

Kasumi turned around one last time before she followed her sisters. "Thank you for your help, Boo-san!"

"A-always at your service..." GameBoo Advance whined.

----

"So, this is it?"

Nabiki frowned. "I've never been here before, you know?" She smirked. "Seems like Principal Kuno thinks twice before calling ME into his office..."

"We should be careful..." Akane said. "Who knows how many traps are in there..."

She gulped and reached out for the doorknob. "Well, here goes nothing..."

And she opened the door.

She then blinked. "Is this the right room?"

"It certainly is," Kasumi nodded. "It even reads 'Principal's Office' on the small sign next to the door."

"Then this King Boo must be really a great interior designer..." Akane muttered.

No Hawaiian decorations anywhere. No fake palm trees. No pineapples. No hula music.

Instead, it almost looked like the throne room of an ancient castle, with a soft, red carpet, a set of expensive furniture, a huge throne at the back end of the room and, of course, multiple paintings hanging from the walls.

"Nabiki?" a voice from one of the paintings shouted. "Is that you?"

"Ryonami?" Nabiki wondered. "Did those ghosts get you too?"

"You better get out of here quick!" Ryonami pleaded. "Before he comes back and... oh no, it's too late!"

The temperature around them suddenly dropped, and the light dimmed, so that only a few candles at the walls were burning. The door behind them closed shut... and then the grinning visage of King Boo appeared in front of them, as he slowly came floating through the floor.

Nabiki gulped. "Well, he does look a bit scarier than his minions..."

"Those fools never could get a job done..." the king hissed. "But you'll never be able to defeat me. The only thing that was ever able to bring me down was a horrible device that I know is back in the Mushroom World!"

"Again with this 'Mushroom World'," Akane grumbled. "Where is that place anyway?"

"That probably won't matter to you ever, as you'll never get out of here... at least not until I've turned the three of you into lovely portraits! NYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHH!"

Akane winced. "That laugh is almost as annoying as Kodachi's..."

Now King Boo perked up his non-existent ears. "So you know the girl Kamek is looking for, eh? We definitely must have a small talk after all of this is over... but not as long as you aren't surrounded by a lovely picture frame!"

Akane snarled. "You want a taste of my hammer?"

"Now, now, Akane!" Kasumi scolded. "Is that polite?" She gave the ghost king a short bow. "I am terribly sorry that we have to resort to violence, dear Boo... Oh, and by the way, there's a speck on your crown!"

"What?" King Boo asked with horror. "Where?" And he took off his crown to search for the speck that dared to soil his beloved crown.

Only to receive a massive clonk on the head from Akane's hammer.

"OW!" he yelled and stumbled backwards. "Damn, you play dirty! I didn't even have the chance to turn myself intangible..."

"There's plenty more where this came from," Akane smirked. "Do you yield?"

King Boo grimaced. "Never! I am the most powerful Boo in existence, and I will never surrender to three schoolgirls, even if they are armed with hammers!"

"What are you going to do, slobber at us?" Nabiki mocked.

"You fools!" the king grinned. "My magic is the most powerful one of all Boos in the entire Mushroom Kingdom! I once created a whole mansion out of NOWHERE! And I trap anyone who defies me into a painting for all eternity!"

"I bet the only reason why you're doing this is because you're a bad painter yourself..." Akane grumbled.

"Let me show you then... just what I can do with my paint!" King Boo floated up to the ceiling and flew around in circles before he raised his arms. "COME OUT, CREATURE MADE OF PAINT!"

Suddenly, the paint from all pictures that were hanging on the walls suddenly came flowing down to the floor, leaving just the startled faces of the students behind.

Nabiki grimaced. "What's this icky, paint-like goop?"

"It's... it's moving..." Kasumi murmured.

The various colors merged in the middle of the room and turned into a sickening brown.

King Boo made a dramatic gesture. "ARISE!"

The brown paint merged into a massive blob that rose up into the air and took on a weird form. In the end, it solidified and turned into a huge creature that was standing in the middle of the room.

Akane and her sisters stared at the plant monster with the crown of flower petals, the leaf-like arms, the gaping maw which was filled with sharp teeth and the...

Akane blinked. "A plant with spotted underpants?"

"Petey Piranha!" the king commanded. "ATTACK!"

----

'Dear Diary,

Today was supposed to be a joyful day, as I have installed a new mechanism to my Koopa Clown Car which allows it to fire Bullet Bills, as well as Bob-ombs! I also added a grappling claw. I know it would have been the perfect tool to kidnap my dear Princess Peach the next time she takes one of her strolls through her castle's park. That stupid Mario would have had no chance to react. I can just picture it: A few Bullet Bill into the castle's eastern tower, a nice distraction! Chaos everywhere! Toads running around in a panic. And while our dear Mr. Plumber Hero tries to bring everything back under control, I would swoop in and grab my beloved princess!

That plan was impeccable!

But you know what happened? Sigh... one of those idiotic Rocky Wrench mechanics left his wrench back inside the Clown Car's gearbox... and as soon as I tried to start my incredible battle vehicle of doom, a massive vibration made the Clow Car shake around... and then the gear parts started flying through the air. And now it's a wreck! It will take them at least a week until it's fixed! And I can't proceed with my ingenious plan without it!

Sometimes I wonder if I am just surrounded by morons that don't know how to do their jobs right... You are the only friend I ever had, diary...'

"DAAAAAAAAAD!"

The shrill scream made the King of the Koopas jump in surprise as his only daughter bursted into his private chamber, dragging along her brother Iggy by his mohawk.

Bowser quickly covered the book he was writing in with his massive paws. "N-n-now, children... is that any way to scare your poor, old father?" He then thought of something. "Um, you didn't see what I was just doing, right?"

"No, Dad..." Iggy sighed and winced, as Wendy was still holding his hair in a firm grasp. "We didn't see that you wrote in your diary..."

"Good, good..." the spike-shelled turtle behemoth coughed and turned around his concrete office chair (decorated with spikes). "Now, what seems to be the problem here?"

Iggy winced again. "Wendy's pulling my hair, Dad..."

"Yes, I can see that! Is that all?"

"Of course not!" Wendy snapped. "I caught this little creep sneaking into the bathroom while I was taking a bath..."

"I already told you it was an accident..."

"And he SPIED on me!"

King Bowser Koopa sighed. "Look, kids... can't you just get along? I have very important business to take care of..."

"Dad, this is more important than your stupid diary! I wasn't even wearing my shell when Iggy came in..."

"Oh, okay..." Bowser grumbled. "Listen, Iggy, next time you do that, be at least careful that she doesn't catch you..."

"DAD!!"

"But it wasn't like that, Dad!" Iggy protested. "Lemmy and I were just heading down into the dungeon to help Kamek with his experiments..."

Bowser sighed. He knew how much Iggy would love to be Kamek's assistant, while at the same time, he also knew how much his old caretaker hated all eight of his children.

"And while we were taking a look at his new potion, he just took out his wand and... and ZAPPED us out of there! I was just unfortunate to see Wendy without her shell... YEOUCH!"

Wendy yanked her brother's hair into the air hardly. "WHAT WAS THAT?" she screamed.

Bowser frowned. "Kamek is working on a potion? I told him to create something that will give my Koopa Clown Car an invisibility cloak, in addition to its Bullet Bill and Bob-omb launchers..."

"Well, it was pretty unusual, I must admit... he was using stardust and..."

Bowser's frown deepened. He might be a brute, a tyrant and a class-A jerk at times, but he wasn't dumb... well, most of the time. He knew enough about magic to know that stardust was only used for the most potent mixtures and potions.

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his scaly chin. "Now what is the old coot up to this time?" he wondered. "The last time he put so much effort in his plans was when he chased that rebellious daughter of his out of my kingdom... by wasting way too many troops and resources, I might add, and without my approval..."

"Um, Dad?"

Bowser blinked. "What?"

Iggy grimaced. "Can you tell Wendy to let go of my hair, please?"

The Koopa King sighed. "Wendy, let go of your brother's hair..."

"But Daddy..." she whined. "He did something bad... he needs to get PUNISHED!"

"Oh, all right... just take him to Junior, he can take care of that!"

Wendy grinned. "With pleasure, father!"

Iggy paled. She wanted to bring him to that crazy little tyke who was pretty much a smaller, meaner and more cruel version of their father.

"I'd rather take the Thwomp torture than this..." he groaned as his sister dragged him away. The door closed behind them.

Bowser tapped the armrest of his chair with his claws. He was deep in thought.

"Kammy?" he then shouted.

A wrinkled mummy of a Koopa hag appeared, as she came flying into the room on her trusty broomstick. "Yes, Lord Bowser?"

Bowser stood up. "Take care of everything here! I'm going to pay your brother an... unexpected visit."

Kammy nodded. As long as she didn't have to face her brother, it was fine with her.

"Wait, Your Rashlyness!" she said as Bowser was going to leave. "Haven't you forgotten something?"

Bowser turned around. "Forgotten? I don't know what you mean..."

He sweatdropped when Kammy gestured at the diary that was still lying on his desk. The last time he let it lie around in the open like this, Princess Peach was able to find it. He was still sweating every time he imagined which of the little secrets he wrote in there she could have read...

"Um, of course..." he muttered and quickly locked the diary away. Then he left his private chamber and walked down into the dungeon.

----

Kamek cackled as he peered into his cauldron. "Soon it will be finished... soon enough, I will have my successors... and my REVENGE!"

"Revenge on who, Kamek?" a booming voice asked from the top of the stairs.

The old Magikoopa turned around and gulped. "M-m-my king," he stuttered nervously. "I... I didn't hear you..."

Bowser frowned as he came stomping down the stairs. "What are you brewing, old coot? I thought I instructed you to work on that camouflage dust I told you about..."

"Well, sire, you might be happy to hear that I am nearly finished with that, all I need are a few more components before it will work."

"Components? Of what kind?"

"Well, you see, we are fresh out of stardust and..."

"Oh? So you thought it would be the best to use the last rest we had for your own purposes instead of using it to carry out your king's task?"

Kamek paled. "I... I don't know what you are talking about, sire..."

Bowser's claw gestured at the cauldron. "I'm talking about this potion of yours! My son Iggy told me what ingredients you were using. So what are you plotting, Kamek?"

Kamek realized the gig was over and lowered his head with a sigh. "Listen to me, my king... I am doing this on behalf of your power, and for the glory of the Koopa Kingdom! I'm planning to bring your army the most powerful general it will have in years..."

Bowser frowned. "Powerful enough to defeat Mario?"

"Of course, sire! Think of the possibilities..."

"I don't need a general that is more powerful than me! If I can't defeat that stupid plumber, nobody will! That honor will be all mine!"

"But King Bowser, imagine how our enemies will tremble under this fierce warrior..."

"Who is this powerful warrior supposed to be, anyway?"

"Well, sir, that's kind of complicated..."

The king angrily furrowed his massive brows. "Answer me!"

Kamek chuckled nervously. "Well, it is... my grandson..." he mumbled.

He gulped when his king gave him an annoyed snarl.

"Kamek... is this about that disobedient daughter of yours again? I've told you again and again, just let her go! There are far more skilled Koopatrols in my army than her!"

"But this time is different, sire!" Kamek pleaded. "My grandson... he is absolutely formidable! He can break rocks with a mere touch and..."

"And even if he'd be able to throw all of my castle to the moon, I DON'T WANT HIM IN MY ARMY!"

"But sire, I..."

"Kamek..." Bowser grumbled impatiently. "The last time you went after your family like that resulted in nearly half of our troops being defeated by the Mushroom Kingdom troops because the only thing you concentrated on was your daughter! You are obsessed with her! I already put you down into the dungeon so you would finally stop thinking of her."

"But my king, you haven't seen how she disgraced my family name and..."

"Listen, I might have been still a little runt at that time, maybe even younger than Junior is right now, but I still remember how you failed to take care of your duties those days! The whole Koopa Kingdom was in turmoil because of your obsession. And I don't want this to happen again! IS THAT CLEAR?"

The aged Magikoopa winced under the thunderous roar of his king. "Yes, sire..." he finally whispered.

Bowser nodded. "Good! Now, hurry up and prepare that camouflage dust! In the meantime, I'll tell a few of my best Paratroopas to search for some stardust. Now, get to work!"

"Yes, sir..." Kamek sighed as the king walked back up the stairs.

"And try not to think of your family for once!" Bowser shouted before slamming the door shut.

Kamek angrily took his wand and nearly snapped it in two in his anger. "Curse you, Bowser..." he grumbled. "But I won't let that stand between me and my revenge... Oh no, the potion will be finished soon, and the only thing I need are that black rose and the enchanted bandana. And as soon as my grandchildren have entered this world, they will be mine! And then, King Bowser..." He grinned. "We'll see who has the last laugh!"

----

"Stand still you stinky freak!" Ranma yelled as he chased the thief through the strange sewer system. He never knew Nerima had such an extensive pipe system underneath the streets, but he had no time to give it further thoughts.

Wario turned around his head and blew a raspberry. "Try to catch me, musclehead!"

Ranma fumed. That guy was making him so upset... he was worse than his old man and Happosai confirmed.

Luckily, he was leaving a trail of stench behind he could easily follow. "For the last time, give back that flower you stole, or else..."

Ranma yelped when suddenly, a gaping maw full with sharp teeth came shooting at him. Only his reflexes saved him from being bitten by the carnivorous Piranha Plant which had just grown out of a pipe.

"What the...?" he muttered. "What is this thing?"

'I knew I should have stayed at home today,' he then thought. 'At least I know that something like this would never happen to Kasumi...'


	6. Poor Petey

"Stupid plant..." Ranma muttered while watching the yelping Piranha Plant retreating in its pipe. "Strange though... I've never heard of such unusual plants growing in, near or even underneath Nerima."

He looked around. "On the other hand, this whole place looks pretty weird... who has ever heard of such huge pipes?"

Oh well, as long as he was able to pursue that ugly little thief...

Ah yes, the thief... maybe he should go back to try and find him instead of wasting time with creepy-looking plants.

Ranma entered another pipe, followed its multiple twists and coils, until he entered yet another chamber.

He shook his head. "All those rooms look the same to me... how am I supposed to know if I was here before? Damn, I'm starting to feel like Ryoga..."

He chose a vertical pipe this time, and to his surprise, he had no problems at all climbing up the slippery shaft.

"This place needs a plumber..." he muttered and peered out of the pipe's upper end.

He blinked. That was... different.

Unlike the previous rooms, he was now in some corridor, from the looks of it, in the basement of some old building. He could see torches hanging from the walls, a couple of stairs that lead up to a door with a big keyhole, and a smaller door next to it, with a star on it.

"Where the heck am I?" he murmured and climbed out of the pipe. To his surprise, it sank back into the floor.

"What the... Hey, how am I supposed to get back now?"

Suddenly, a malicious cackle made him turn around. Coming from a small, wooden door behind him, the yellow-clothed thief entered the room.

Wario stopped in surprise when he saw Ranma. Then he grinned. "So you found a shortcut, eh? Well, no matter... Wario is still gonna win!"

Ranma angrily clenched his fists. "I don't know where we are, or how you suddenly appeared behind me, but I'm gonna take back what you stole!

Wario cackled. "Wario always managed to bring his loot back to his castle, so why should it be different this time? Wario always wins!"

"Well, except-a that one time my bro drove you out of the castle you took over..."

Ranma and Wario both looked over to the big door with the keyhole, which had just opened. A lanky, young man with overalls, a green shirt and a bushy mustache had appeared in the door. He was also carrying what looked like some sort of vacuum cleaner.

Ranma then noticed that his clothes were similar to the thief's clothes. "Hey! You in league with this pickpocket?"

"No way!" Luigi proclaimed. "Wario's a crook of the worst sort, and he's-a always after other's money."

Wario grinned. "Well, a guy's got-a to make a living..."

Ranma still wasn't convinced. "You even speak in the same accent as he does..."

"Well, that-a might be because-a both of us are Italians... although I was born in the Mushroom Kingdom... and I spent my younger days in Brooklyn... but I guess my parents were Italian, so..."

Ranma shook his head. "Never mind, you aren't in cahoots with that guy, I got it!"

Luigi turned to face Wario. "I guess I don't have-a to ask how you got here, Wario, but I still wanna know why you're here. And the princess would like to know the same when she comes back, I'm sure..."

"I don't need to tell you anything, you scrawny green scarecrow!" Wario ranted and stuck out his butt. "I'm-a just gonna take this loot back to my own castle... and this one item to my employer..."

"Now who would be stupid enough to employ YOU?" Luigi muttered.

Ranma shook his head. "I still don't know who you guys are and how I got here, but I won't let that stinky little creep get away! He stole something from my friend... um, I mean... from a girl I know! And he's gonna give it back, or else..."

"You heard the boy, Wario!" Luigi frowned and grabbed the handle of his Poltergust a bit tighter. "Whatever you stole, give-a it back!"

Wario grimaced. "You think I'm-a afraid of that silly-looking vacuum cleaner? Think again, Weenie Wuigi!" And he prepared to knock the green-clothed half of the Mario Brothers away with one of his infamous Dash Attacks.

Ranma dashed after him. "Hey, stop right there, you..."

But Luigi beat him to it: He simply flipped a switch on his Poltergust, and all of a sudden, a cloud of cold, frosty air came whooshing out of the device, engulfing the bulky burglar completely and freezing him in his tracks.

Ranma could just stare while Luigi switched off his trusty weapon. "Contrary to popular believe, the Poltergust 3000 isn't just a device to capture ghosts... it also sucks up elemental spirits, allowing me to shoot with fire, water or ice."

"I hate you..." Wario mumbled without being able to move his lips, as they were completely frozen by the ice.

Ranma carefully freed the money bag from the ice and took a close look at Kodachi's rose. Thankfully, it was still in one piece.

"Um, thanks for the help," he finally said. "That was really..."

Luigi smirked. "Cool?"

Ranma grinned and nodded. "Yeah, cool!"

----

"Hibiki?" Kodachi wondered. "Is that you? Did they put this curse on you as well?"

"You might not be able to see the truth, but this is what we really are... dear 'sister'!"

"I'll never accept that!" Kodachi screeched. "I am an offspring of the noble house Kuno, a descendant of noble samurais! You are a brutish commoner, and those turtle creatures are monstrous beings!"

Kimmy sobbed while Kenny hugged his wife comfortingly.

"How could you... say something like that to your parents?" Peach murmured.

Mario heard enough. "Hey there, girlie, I think that's-a quite enough! I can't possibly tell you to accept Kenny and-a Kimmy as your parents, or this boy as your brother, but you really shouldn't put the Koopas down like that just because you never got to know them. And no matter how you were raised, you are a Koopa now, so live with it! And if you want-a to change that, stop your crying and come with us to take it back!"

"I won't show my face in public..." Kodachi murmured. "The shame... the shame would be too much..."

Yoshi rolled his eyes when he heard that. In his opinion, that girl had more than one screw loose...

"Miss Kodachi..." Sasuke finally said. "It is not my place to tell you this, but... regarding the circumstances, somebody has to tell you!"

"What are you babbling about, Sasuke?" Kodachi grumbled.

The ninja servant sighed. "You know, I can only tell you what I heard from my own father... You know that my family has been and will always be the servants of the noble house of Kuno. And I heard this from my father, something that happened when I was still a young child myself..."

"Get to the point, Sasuke!" Kodachi snapped.

Sasuke lowered his head. "Of course, Miss Kodachi! Well, the story he told me started like this: It was a dark and windy night, when your father, the principal, and his wife, the departed Lady Kuno - blessed be her name - were getting ready for bed.

From what I know, the principal was boring his wife with several of his usual tales about Hawaii, and how she had to pay the islands a visit as well. But while that happened, somebody approached the mansion. Being one of the best ninja servants of the Kuno House, my father spotted the intruder before he entered the premises. He didn't know if that was really an intruder or maybe a guest, so he let him pass for now. He was surprised to see that the cloaked stranger put a little basket next to the entrance door... and then he rang the door bell and ran away. My father knew he could have captured him, but he saw no reason to do that. Before the principal and his wife came to answer the door, he picked up the little basket and brought it inside, where they all took a good look at it."

He made a short pause and took a deep breath. "Miss Kodachi... both your mother and my father made me swear never to tell you until you would be old enough to understand it... but I think now is the best time to finally tell you..."

"What... what are you talking about...?" Kodachi murmured, even though she dreaded the answer.

Sasuke firmly looked into his young mistress's eyes. "Within the basket, wrapped in warm blankets, they found a small baby girl with a tuft of black hair, as well as a note. On the note, the mysterious stranger asked Mr. and Mrs. Kuno to take are of the little girl, and to love it and raise it as their own. The principal was skeptical of this at first, but his wife convinced him to take the girl in and raise it as their son Tatewaki's sister."

"No..." Kodachi whispered. "No, no, no... that can't be..."

"Miss Kodachi!" Sasuke said almost pleadingly. "Listen to me... the girl lying in that basket... it was you!"

"NO!!!" Kodachi yelled and pressed her reptilian paws on her ears. "Stop it! I command you to be silent! That can't be true! I know it isn't true!"

"It is true..." Toad said in a quiet voice. "It was my uncle who brought you here... he told me the whole story when I was a child. And there was a black rose in the basket, wasn't there?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes... the very same rose Lady Kuno planted in Miss Kodachi's room... and during all those years, it never wilted away."

"That's-a because it's-a a magical flower," Mario explained. "Merlon the Magician put a spell on it that made it last for a very long time, providing Kodachi with the form of a human, so she could live with people of her own kind."

"Just as he did with my bandana..." Ryoga murmured. "Right?"

Mario nodded.

Kodachi's face was stained with tears when she looked back up. But when both Sasuke and her true parents looked into her eyes, they saw something they haven't seen there before... or in the case of Sasuke, something he hasn't seen in a very long time: Realization!

"Why...?" she muttered. "Why would my true parents... leave me behind... not only in a place so far away from them... but also in a form I... I wasn't..." She gulped. "I wasn't... born in?"

Her parents looked at her in shame.

"It wasn't... our idea, you know?" Kimmy finally whispered. "But your grandfather... he's such a terrible man, and he always wanted to force me to do what he wanted. And after I chose not to be a member of the Koopa Army anymore... he swore revenge! He put a curse on both of you."

"Our... grandfather?" Ryoga asked in surprise.

"A... curse?" Kodachi muttered. Then she realized what they were talking about and gasped. "You mean... you can't possibly mean..."

"I'm afraid so," Kenny sighed. "The reason why you always ignored to see the truth... why you acted the way you did... it was because of the curse."

"For... for once in years, I can think clearly..." Kodachi murmured and looked at her Koopa hands and shell. "I don't know how long it will last, but... maybe hearing the truth from someone I've known for my entire life..." She looked at Sasuke. "Made me realize the truth."

"Isn't that wonderful, dear?" Kimmy sniffed. "Our daughter finally is freed from my father's curse..."

"No..." Kodachi said. "I'm afraid not."

"What-a do you mean?" Mario asked in surprise.

Kodachi looked at everyone with a strained expression. "It's... getting hard to concentrate! I fear that I will fall back to my demented ways if I don't..." She gulped. "And... I'm afraid that I won't be able to... to become normal again."

She sobbed, and to everyone's surprise, hugged her mother. "I don't wanna be a crazy lunatic anymore! Mother, please help me..."

"It's all right..." Kimmy said as she soothingly patted the distraught girl's black shell. "Ssshhhhh, we'll think of something..."

"I know what we must do!" Ryoga then said. "We must go to this 'Mushroom Kingdom' and find our grandfather... and then we'll make him lift the curse he placed upon us. Then our families will be freed as well. As far as I'm concerned, I have two families now: The Hibikis and... you."

Kodachi looked at him hopefully. "F-father... I m-mean, the principal... and Tatewaki... are cursed as well?"

"The curse spread to them," Kenny grumbled. "If I'm not mistaken, they are not acting quite, ummm... normal either?"

"No!" Kodachi sobbed. "Tatewaki is a delusional fool who wants to marry two or even more women at once, and my father... well, let's not get there... but if there's actually a chance to help them as well..."

"We only have to find Kamek, that's all!" Ryoga said.

"It-a won't be easy, you know that," Mario remembered the youth. "Kamek is-a the most powerful Magikoopa we know, and he's-a Bowser's personal servant."

Yoshi nodded and gave off an angry squeak. He was the one who saved Mario and Luigi from Kamek when they were babies, and he knew how powerful his magic was.

"I won't let that stop me!" Ryoga said. "As long as I know that I can help both of my families, I will face him!"

Mario grinned. "I kinda knew you'd say that... okiedokie, I'm-a gonna help you!"

"You can always count on Mario!" Princess Peach smiled.

Kodachi nodded. "O-okay... I'm coming with you!" She then furrowed her brows. "I might be a Koopa now, but I am still a member of the noble house of Kuno, and we would never let a foul sorcerer like that curse us!"

Ryoga grinned. "That's the spirit, sis!"

Toad frowned. "You think she... she's already acting like she did before?"

Sasuke grinned sheepishly. "No, that's just the pride of nobility... I learned to live with it..."

Suddenly, they all heard how the front door opened.

"Sasuke!" a familiar voice shouted. "Where are you, servant?"

"Oh no!" Sasuke gasped. "That's Master Kuno!"

----

"Take THIS!" Nabiki yelled, as she threw her hammer. She then grinned. "Hey, that felt good! Now I see what Akane sees in this..."

The thrown hammer flew through the air, but before it hit Petey's giant head, the huge Piranha Plant opened its mouth wide... and swallowed it with one gulp.

The three sisters looked at each other and sweatdropped.

"I don't know why we should be afraid..." Akane frowned. "I mean, it's just a giant plant! What's it going to do, leaf us to death?"

The plant seemed to gave her a smirk. Then it opened its muzzle and let out a deafening roar, showing them two rows of sharp teeth and slobbery saliva.

"Okay, now I'm intimidated..." Akane gulped.

Petey Piranha inhaled... and suddenly, the strange brown goop it was created from came spewing out of its mouth, splattering all over the floor.

"Oh my!" Kasumi proclaimed and jumped to the side.

"Eeeewwwww!" Nabiki shouted and ducked underneath a flying blob of goop. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna run for it..."

"Hey!" Akane shouted as she ran after her sister. Petey roared, flapped his huge leaves and flew after them, his hue head barely fitting through the door of the principal's office.

King Boo cackled evilly as he watched them leave. "As soon as Petey catches them, I'm gonna turn them into beautiful paintings..."

He then looked down at Kasumi. "Hey, aren't you going to run after them?"

Kasumi looked down at the goopy slime that Petey had left behind. "Well, someone has to clean up this mess..."

King Boo facefaulted.

----

Somewhere else, in a different town, on a different world...

The phone was ringing.

"I'll get it!" a high voice spoke up. A little, red-headed girl dressed in ninja's clothes picked up. "WarioWare Headquarters, Ana speaking? Ah, Mr. Luigi... What?"

She sighed. "Now what did he do again?" A short pause. "I see... Oh, great... Yeah, that's just like him... Yeah, we'll come and pick him up. Don't worry, we'll think of a punishment... Sure, of course! Yes, you too, Mr. Luigi! See you then!"

She hung up.

"Who was it?" her pink-haired, single-ponytailed twin asked as she entered the room.

"It's Wario again, Kat..." Ana sighed. "Looks like he caused trouble at the princess' castle. Mr. Luigi just called and asked us to pick him up."

"Oh no, again?" Kat groaned. "That's the third time this month... I'm surprised that they don't just keep him and put him in prison."

"You know Wario would be out of there in a matter of days," Ana frowned. She suddenly grinned. "But if we take care of him, we'll at least be able to punish him accordingly."

"That's right!" Kat realized with a smirk. "No one knows more about Wario's fears than us, his co-workers... Well, maybe except for his brother, Waluigi..."

"I'm glad we don't have to work together with THAT creep!" Ana winced. "Wario's bad enough... All right, we should better head out before he makes even more trouble."

And so the two kindergarten ninja twins Kat and Ana left the headquarters of Wario's mini-game company WarioWare to pick up their boss and bane of their lives.

----

"I hate it to just run away like that!" Akane screamed while dodging another pile of goop Petey spat after them. "Can't I just pound him?"

"You saw what he did to my hammer, did you?" Nabiki grumbled. "Besides, what do you think how I'm feeling? Normally, I just bribe anyone who wants a piece of me."

"Bribe or blackmail..." Akane grumbled. "Some sister I've got..."

"Quiet, you!" Nabiki hissed as they ran along yet another corridor. "Say, isn't the home economics room close by?"

"Um, yeah!" Akane replied, wondering what her sister was driving at. "Just around that corner..."

"And didn't you tell me you tried to bake a cake last Wednesday?"

"Hey, what do you mean with 'tried'?"

"Good enough," Nabiki smirked. "Quick, follow me!"

Akane followed her sister in confusion as she turned around the corner and entered the home economics room.

"Where's the fridge?" Nabiki shouted.

"Over there!" Akane shouted back and gestured into the corner.

"Great, now let's see..."

Suddenly, the door flew off its hinges when Petey Piranha came bursting into the room, growling wildly.

"Damn!" Nabiki cursed. "Try to get his attention, okay?"

"Sure, but... what about you?"

"Trust me, I've got a plan!" Nabiki smirked.

"Well, if you say so... Hey, you overgrown pest plant! I'm over here!" And the youngest Tendo sister ran across the room, throwing plates and silverware at the monster.

Petey was getting furious. Angrily, he flapped his leaves a few times and created a strong gust of wind which threw Akane back and made her collide with the cupboard.

Akane groaned and shook her head. Petey snarled and took a step closer with his stubby legs, when suddenly, Nabiki yelled: "Hey you!"

Petey looked around and saw Nabiki standing next to the open fridge, in her hands a big plate with something that looked like the result of a chemical experiment than of a cooking lesson. It was black as coal and smoldering.

Nabiki grinned. "I have an appetizer for you! Bon appetit!" And she hurled Akane's cake across the room.

As she had predicted, the huge Piranha Plant monster greedily lunged for it, swallowing it with one gulp. Petey would have loved to have the girl standing on front of him as the main course, but then he hesitated.

A gurgling sound was coming from his stomach, and he held his tummy with his leaves. A strange groan was coming from the plant as it collapsed on the floor and squirmed around in pain. Smoke was coming out of his mouth.

Akane blinked and stood up from the ground. "What... what happened?"

Nabiki chuckled. "What I was hoping for... your cooking skills are so bad that they can bring down even the scariest monsters."

Akane fumed silently.

Petey let out a strange squeak as he looked over to the two girls. He had no eyes, but it seemed as if he wanted to say: 'Please... put me out of my misery!'

Nabiki nodded over to her younger sister. "Akane, if you would..."

Akane stepped over to the twitching Piranha Plant's form and raised her hammer.

And when she forcefully brought it down on the creature's head, Petey Piranha dissolved into the same brown goop he was made of.

Nabiki grimaced. "Yuck! I'm not cleaning that up..."

"Well, that wasn't too difficult," Akane said smugly and wiped her hands. "Let's leave the place like this, the janitor can clean it up in the morning..."

Suddenly, Nabiki realized something. "Say... aren't we missing someone?"

"Oh no!" Akane gasped. "Kasumi! We left her alone with that creep!"

Quickly, the armored Hammer Sister and her younger sister with the wooden mallet ran back to the principal's office... and were surprised to find a humming Kasumi pouring some tea into a few cups and a bawling ghost.

"Please!" King Boo wailed. "Take her away from me!"

"What's your problem?" Nabiki asked and raised an eyebrow.

"The niceness... the hospitality... it's just too much for a Boo to handle!"

"What's the matter, Boo-san?" Kasumi asked with a smile. "Don't you want a cup of tea?" And she offered him a cup.

"GAH!" the king gasped and waved around his stubby arms. "Take that stuff away from me! I can't take the pleasant smell, those horrible herbs... I am a GHOST for the Shadow Queen's sake... we ABHOR everything nice!"

"Well, what are the odds..." Nabiki grinned smugly. "Go ahead, Kasumi, I'm pretty sure His Majesty hasn't had any lunch today... why don't you make him a few of your famous cookies? We just have to clean up the home economics room..."

"Oh!" Kasumi gushed and clasped her hands. "How thoughtful, Nabiki! That's a really wonderful idea!"

"NOOOOOO!" King Boo screamed. "That's a horrible idea! No tea! No cookies! No flowers! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Just get me out of here!"

"Now's our chance to finish him off," Akane cheered and shook the ?-Box, hoping a weapon that was effective against ghosts would pop out.

Instead, just a small whistle was falling to the ground.

"What?" Akane asked disappointedly. "That's all?"

"Well, who knows what this does?" Nabiki shrugged. She picked the tiny whistle up and blew inside.

DOO-DOO-DOOOOOOOO-DOO-DOO-DOOOO...

"Nabiki, I never knew you could play so good," Kasumi said in a surprised voice.

Nabiki blinked. "I only blew once..."

"A... Warp Whistle?" King Boo murmured in confusion. Where did those girls find such a thing.

"Wait a minute..." Akane said and perked up her ears. "Do you all hear that?"

Nabiki, Kasumi and even King Boo listened intently.

"Sounds almost like... a tornado or something..." Nabiki murmured.

"Don't be silly, Nabiki!" Kasumi chuckled. "There never has been a tornado in Nerima before!"

She gasped in surprise when suddenly, a miniature tornado came whirling through the window and into the room, sweeping the three girls and the ghost king off their feet and taking them along on a wild ride, first through the room, then out of the window and into the blue sky above them...

Ryonami softly tapped against the frame of the painting in which she was still trapped. "Um, hello? We're still hanging around here, you know? Is anybody there? Hello?"

----

In the meantime, Ranma was standing in a guest chamber in Princess Peach's castle and had listened to what Luigi and Toadsworth had told him about this world.

"So, this castle is in the middle of some country that's populated by mushroom people?" he asked.

"Yes!" Luigi said.

"And we are on a planet that is far away from Earth, and where talking turtles, walking plants and intelligent inanimate objects are normal?"

"Why, yes!" Toadsworth nodded.

Ranma shrugged. "Eh, whatever! It's not that much weirder than Nerima... as long as you make sure that guy doesn't bother us again..."

"Don't worry!" Toadsworth said as he looked down into the courtyard, where a bunch of Toad guards were guarding Wario, who wasn't frozen anymore, but instead bound by a strong rope. "This isn't the first time Wario has caused trouble. We already called somebody who will come here to pick him up."

Ranma frowned as he looked out of the window as well. "I dunno... are you sure those little guys can take care of him? He looks pretty tough..."

"Don't underestimate our troops," Toadsworth protested. "They have survived worse!"

"Yes, in the cells of Bowser's castle..." Luigi muttered.

"Besides," Toadsworth continued, ignoring Luigi's remark. "Bound by these ropes, Wario won't be able to do anything. As long as he's tied up, he won't go anywhere!"

Ranma shrugged. "Well, if you say so..." He then perked up his ears. "Say, do you hear that as well?"

"Sounds like a tornado..." Luigi murmured.

And then, out of nowhere, a tiny tornado appeared over the castle, twirled right past their window, circled a tower and came back over the courtyard. In its middle, they could see a couple of flailing figures.

"Wait a minute..." Ranma wondered. "Isn't that... Akane?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Nabiki, Akane and King Boo yelled as they got propelled through the air by the magic of the Warp Whistle, accompanied by a worried "Oh my!" of Kasumi.

One after another, they came down tumbling into the courtyard. Kasumi was lucky enough to land on top of a big, soft mushroom. King Boo was unlucky enough to land in the middle of the fountain with a big splash. Nabiki got entangled in the branches of a tree.

And Akane... landed right on top of Wario, making the Toads that guarded him tumble backwards in surprise.

"Owww... my head..." Akane groaned. "Dang... I lost my mallet..." She then felt the soft object she had landed on. "Oh well, at least this huge pillow is pretty soft..."

"Who are you calling-a a pillow, little girl?" Wario barked at her. "Get off my tummy, or I'm-a gonna bite your ass!"

Akane looked behind... and looked directly into the most ugly face she had ever seen, complete with two nasty rows of crooked teeth.

And that stench... She quickly rolled off Wario's huge belly and held her nose. "You PERVERT! You're lucky I lost my mallet during that flight, or else I would have..."

"Spare me your banter, girl!" Wario grumbled. He grinned when he saw how Akane's impact had loosened his bonds. He used his strength to free himself completely. "Now Wario's-a FREE again!"

Up in the guest room, Ranma looked down at the scene in surprise. "Akane? What's she doing here?"

"You know her?" Luigi asked in surprise.

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, she's my fianc... um, I mean... a member of the family I live with. And those are her sisters..."

He looked over to the fountain and rubbed his chin. "That round, white guy... I don't know him."

"Mamma mia!" Luigi shouted in shock. "That's-a King Boo! By all pizzas and pastas, where is my Poltergust?" And he ran around the room in a panic.

Meanwhile, King Boo had risen from the fountain and shook the water out of his face. "Bleagh! I hate water! Makes me feel so... CLEAN!"

Wario was staring into Akane's eyes. "Get-a out of my way, little girl... before-a Wario pounds you into the ground!"

"Why you..." she grumbled. "I don't know who you are, but if you think I'm gonna let you insult me, you walking pile of ugliness, than you're deadly wrong!"

"Whatever..." Wario grumbled. "I'm-a not here to fight you... I'm-a just going to get that black rose again, and-a then I'm-a outta here!"

"Now wait right there, Wario!" King Boo screeched in his shrill voice. "Kamek gave ME the order to retrieve the black flower! He promised me a huge tower in which I and my fellow Boos can spook if I bring it to him."

"Bah! He promised ME a bag full of gold, in addition to the treasures I found in that girl's mansion... you think I'm-a gonna miss that chance?"

"I better get down there before things turn ugly..." Ranma muttered while Luigi was still searching for his vacuum cleaner.

"Yeah, Wario's a nasty guy... and he always fights dirty," Toadsworth nodded.

Ranma grimaced. "I'm not worried about that... if that guy makes Akane mad, you'll be lucky if she leaves the castle walls intact."

He jumped out of the window and landed right on top of a hapless Toad soldier who just happened to lie there.

"Sorry, little fella!" Ranma said and stepped aside. "Hey you! Wario or whatever you're called! Stop picking on Akane or I'll..."

But just as he was going to run over to them, a high voice coming from the castle wall stopped them all dead in their tracks.

"Hold it right there, Wario! You think we're going to let you cause trouble again? The last time you did that, all of our company's workers had to work hardly for months to pay off all those debts. You're gonna come back with us, like it or not!"

In awe, they all looked up at the two silhouettes standing in front of the setting sun... the figures of two young children with ponytails.

"And you, evil spirit... we won't let you harm the peaceful residents of this kingdom either! Prepare yourself for the swift blades of..."

And in a jump that was as fast as lightning, the two girls jumped down the wall, landing in front of Wario and King Boo with drawn weapons.

"Kat and Ana, Kindergarten Ninjas!"

Ranma sighed. "Great... when it's not uber-powerful martial artists, magical princes or phoenixes, it's ninjas..."


	7. Power for Junior

"Master Kuno!" Sasuke said as he quickly came running out of the living room. "Welcome back home! May I carry your schoolbag up to your room? Would you like a glass of water?"

"Sasuke, where have you been?" Tatewaki grumbled. "Because of you, I had to carry my belongings by MYSELF! A true noble doesn't have to carry anything besides his blade and his dignity."

"Forgive me, Master Kuno!" Sasuke said and gave his young master a bow. "It won't happen again! Now let's hurry to your chambers, where you can punish me..."

Kuno raised an eyebrow. "You seem strangely intent on bringing me up to my chambers... is there anything in the house you don't want me to see?"

"Oh, of course not, Master Kuno!" Sasuke protested. "I would never hide anything from you..."

Kuno looked around. "Where is my demented sister, anyway? Is she down in the basement, preparing yet again another one of her deadly venoms?"

"Um, no, Miss Kodachi is in the living room..."

"Ah-HAH!" Kuno yelled triumphantly. "So THAT'S why you don't want me to go in there! Is she preparing something to endanger my beloved, sweet pig-tailed girl?"

"No, Master Kuno, please don't..."

Tatewaki shoved the little ninja retainer to the side as he tried to hold him back. "Sasuke, you are forgetting your place! I am the heir of the Kuno clan and you are just a lowly servant, so I have every right to... to..."

For once in his life, Tatewaki Kuno was speechless, as he stared at the strange creatures that were just trying to climb out of the window. He saw how a dwarvish creature resembling a poisonous fungus was forcefully shoving a sweet maiden through the window.

"Oh no!" Toad gasped. "He has seen us! Princess, hurry!"

Kuno drew his bokken. "HAAAAAAAALT! Stop right there, monstrous being! Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder, won't allow you to take away this lovely maiden... whoever she is! Prepare yourself, foul creature!"

"EEEEK!" Toad yelped as Kuno attacked him with a bokken thrust. He lost his grip on the princess and rolled across the floor, while Peach was falling outside, where Ryoga and Mario were catching her.

"Are-a you all right, Peach?" Mario asked with worry.

"Yes, I'm fine," Peach said. "But Toad..."

"YAAAAAAAH!" they heard the mushroom retainer's scream as he was running around the Kuno living room in a panic, followed by a bokken-swinging madman. "Saaaave meeee..."

"Stupid Kuno..." Ryoga grumbled. "We don't have any time for this..." He wanted to jump back through the window, but Kodachi held him back.

"Wait! What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious, dear 'sister'?" Ryoga snapped. "I'm trying to save the little guy from your crazy 'brother'."

"But you just said it, we have no time for this! If he's just a servant, let's leave him behind and use the distraction to escape."

Peach gasped. "You... are suggesting to sacrifice poor Toad just so we can get away?"

The black-shelled Koopa girl shrugged. "Servants are all alike, they bounce back from pretty much everything. I've done it before, with Sasuke... works every time!"

"Well, I'm-a against it," Mario frowned. "But if you two want to find-a your friend quickly, I'll-a take care of that guy. Yoshi, can you lead them back to the pipe?"

The green dinosaur nodded. "Yoshi!"

Princess Peach sat up on Yoshi's red saddle. "Please, come after us as soon as you can, Mario."

"Don't-a worry too much, princess, you must-a know by now that I can deal with such guys. Now bring this family of Koopas back to the Mushroom Kingdom, okay?"

She nodded. Ryoga looked at Mario and then said: "Thanks for bringing my real parents back to me, Mario! It really meant a lot to me."

"I know, but-a you better hurry up now... and don't-a get lost on your way, you hear me?"

And then, the four Koopas followed the princess, who was riding on the green Yoshi.

Mario, on the other hand, jumped back inside and landed in-between the wincing Toad and the angry samurai-wannabe.

"Out of my way, cur! Or I shall cut you down just like I will this pathetic creature!"

"M-m-mario..." Toad whimpered. "A-are you g-gonna save me...?"

Mario nodded and looked grimly at Kuno. "Why are you picking on a little guy like Toad? Try someone your own size!"

Kuno raised his bokken. "Are you in league with these foul creatures? Tell me, where did they take the defenseless maiden? Answer me, or I'll strike you down where you stand!"

"Peach is-a the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom... they would never harm her! Now can you put down that stick before-a someone loses an eye?"

Kuno seethed. "How dare you bemock the noble weapon of a samurai! Foul knave! You shall expect no mercy from me! HAVE AT THEEEEE!"

Mario just jumped over the delusional swordman's swipes effortlessly and sweatdropped. "Mama mia, that guy's almost as kooky as Fawful... now what do I do with him...?"

"YA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!" Kuno yelled as he continuously attacked the jumping plumber. "Hold still, you coward!" He slashed at his opponent's head, but Mario was able to duck in time.

Although Kuno's bokken hit his cap and flung it across the room.

Mario frowned. "All right, that does it! Nobody touches the Mario cap!!" He massaged his wrists and focussed his powers, trying to remember the firebrand technique. In his earlier adventuring days, he always had to use a fire flower to use this special attack, but recently, he had learned to do it on his own.

Just as Kuno was once again rushing at him, he stretched his palm outwards and fired a red fireball from it, which was bouncing over the floor.

"HAAAAAAAHH!" Kuno yelled, striking at the fiery projectile with his weapon. The bokken hit the fireball, slashed it apart... and was catching fire itself.

Kuno blinked. "Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?"

He looked at his bokken, not having realized that it was already was bursting in flames.

He then looked at his hands that were holding the bokken.

"YAAAAAAH!" he screamed and flung his burning weapon away. "SASUKE! WATER!"

And while Sasuke ran to bring his master a bucket, Toad nervously picked up the burning bokken and brought it into the kitchen, to douse the flames.

When Sasuke came back, he put down a heavy bucket of water next to his master. Kuno put his smoking hands inside and let out a sigh of relief.

He then pulled them out again and looked at his opponent darkly. "You may have surprised me once, sorcerer, but this time I'm prepared. Sasuke! Bring me a new bokken!"

"Um... I hate to say this, Master Kuno, but... you used them all up in your recent battles against Saotome..."

"Never mind then..." Tatewaki grumbled. "I'll take you on with my bare hands!"

Mario sighed. "Look, I really don't wanna hurt you... you sure you don't wanna yield?"

"I FIGHT ON!" Kuno shouted proudly and stormed at the short plumber.

Mario shrugged. "Well, he asked for it..." He crouched down and waited for the right moment...

And then Kuno was very surprised when the stout man in the red shirt and the overalls hit him with a powerful, jumping uppercut that sent him flying up, right through the roof. Strangely, it was accompanied by a weird 'blinging' noise.

Mario landed back on his feet and watched through the hole in the roof how Kuno was soaring through the air. Just before he crash-landed on the living-room's floor, Mario grabbed his feet and twirled him around, again and again.

"Last chance!" Mario shouted. "Do you give up?"

"I... fight... OOOOONNNNNN..." Kuno yelled while he was spinning through the air. He then retched. "I also need a bucket..."

Mario winced. He didn't need that, so he hurled him around one last time and forcefully threw him across the room.

"So long-a, Kuno!" he shouted.

Sasuke jumped back in surprise when his master came flying past him.

"Master Kuno, watch out for that..."

CRASH!

"Wall..." the ninja weakly finished his sentence. "Oh, never mind..."

Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, was sticking through the wall of his family's house's living room wall, his legs comically sticking out.

"That... didn't hurt..." his muffled voice said.

Suddenly, the whole wall collapsed around him, burying the kendoist with rubble.

"On the other hand... it might have hurt after all..." he mumbled. "Ow... my poor head..."

----

"What are you doing here?" Wario bellowed. "Go back to Diamond City, or you're fired!"

"Your threats won't work on us, Wario!" Kat shot back from where she and her sister were crouching on the wall. "Your actions always bring us into trouble, but this time you've gone too far!"

"Yeah, besides, you have often threatened to fire us, but in the end, you always let us stay," Ana pointed out.

"Meddling little ninja brats..." Wario grumbled.

King Boo had heard enough. "No one's getting in my way! If you don't let me go, I'm gonna CRUSH you!" And he laughed in what he believed to be a scary manner.

"Oh yeah?" Ranma asked cockily. "You and what army?"

The crown-clad Boo snickered. "This army, of course..." And with a horrible scream, he turned around... and flew right into the fountain that was standing in the middle of the courtyard.

Kasumi, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain to wring out her hair, gasped when suddenly, the whole stone structure started shaking underneath her. "Oh my! What's happening?"

"He's possessing the fountain!" one of the Toads yelled in a frightened voice. "Run away!"

And the Toads started running around in a panic, similar to Luigi (who was still searching for his Poltergust).

Everyone stared in awe as the fountain rose up into the air and changed shape. In the end, it looked like enormous statue with the basin around its waist, and a huge, grinning Boo as a head.

The two stone eyes of the colossus started to glow and King Boo's voice could be heard coming from the monstrosity: "BWAHAHAHAHAAAAH! Now who's gonna stop me? Everyone, bow down in front of... the BOO GOLEM!"

Kasumi was still sitting on the edge of the basin and tried very hard not to fall down. "This certainly isn't comfortable..." she murmured. "Maybe I should leave..."

"You're not going anywhere, my pretty!" the Boo Golem said in the king's voice and tried to snatch her with his enormous stone hands.

"Kasumi, look out!" Akane yelled on top of her lungs.

But in the last instant, Kasumi pulled something out of her dress, a puff of smoke surrounded her, and then... her Hammer Sister dress was gone, replaced by her usual clothes. But the most unusual change were the small furry ears that were poking out of her hair, and the raccoon tail that was waving behind her.

Everyone gasped when Kasumi jumped to evade the massive hand of the golem... and sighed in relief when they saw that she used her raccoon tail to gently hover down to the ground.

"I just recalled how Azusa used those little leaves to change," the eldest Tendo sister smiled. "So I took one out of the ?-Box to keep it for the right occasion."

"Kasumi..." Nabiki sighed. "Please, do not scare us like that anymore, okay?"

"Looks like they are all busy with that stone guy," Wario muttered to himself. "Maybe I can use that to get out of here, stealthily..."

"HEY!" Ana shouted from above. "Wario's getting away!"

"No worries, I'll take care of him!" Ranma shouted and jumped across the whole yard, landing in front of the stinky thief. "Can you take care of that ghost guy?"

"No problem!" Kat grinned. "Capturing evil spirits is our specialty."

"We just need a vessel in which we can contain him," Ana pointed out.

"Gotcha! Yo, Akane! Would you go and ask Luigi to bring that vacuum cleaner of his down here?"

"GET-A OUT OF HERE!" Wario yelled and charged at Ranma with his shoulder.

Akane blinked while Ranma was fighting Wario. "Who's Luigi?"

"Up here, Miss!" Toadsworth shouted from the window and waved.

Meanwhile, Kat and Ana were facing the Boo-possessed fountain golem.

"You... take THIS and THIS!" the Boo Golem shouted angrily and threw punches at the nimble kindergarten ninjas.

"Distract him, sis!" Kat shouted. "I'm gonna see if I can reach the head."

"Got it!" Ana nodded and stretched out her hands. "CLONE TECHNIQUE!"

And suddenly, it looked as if the golem was surrounded by a large number of ninja girls, all of them looking exactly like Ana, orange twin ponytails and everything.

"It doesn't matter how many of you are there, I'm still gonna smash you!" the golem yelled and started stomping around. Every time he hit a clone, it vanished in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile, Kat was running towards the castle wall, jumped and bounded off the flat surface, flying directly at the rampaging stone creature.

"HI-YA!" she yelled and threw a number of shurikens at the golem. The golem saw the attack from the corner of his eyes and shielded himself with his stone arm. But that was what Kat had planned all along. She nimbly landed on his arm, jumped up again and pulled her ninja sword from her back.

"End of the line!" she shouted and plunged her sharp weapon into one of the glowing eyes in the middle of the stony Boo head.

"NOOOOOOOO..." King Boo screamed while his golem form started to shrink, until it turned back into a simple fountain... and his spherical form plopped down on the grass.

"Owwww..." he groaned. "I'm gonna get you for this..."

"Too late!" a familiar voice called.

King Boo looked up... and saw that accursed, green-clad plumber standing in front of him, once again armed with that horrible machine...

"The Poltergust!" he screamed and tried flying away. "Oh nooooo..."

Luigi grinned. "Oh yeeessss..." And then he started sucking.

"NOOOOOOO!" the ghost king yelled as he was sucked inside. "NOT AGAAAIIIIINNN..."

And when he finally was trapped in the Poltergust, Luigi twirled around his weapon and grinned. "Oh yeah, I suck!"

The Tendo sisters and ninja twins facefaulted.

In the meantime, Ranma was facing Wario.

"You've been quite the pest, boy!" Wario grumbled. "But enough is enough!"

"Ah, shut yer trap!" Ranma said and concentrated his ki. "Moko Takabisha!"

Wario crouched down and the ki projectile flew across his head. "Hey, be careful where you throw that stuff!"

"I am. And you are the one I wanna hit!" Ranma jumped forward to hit Wario with a fierce punch.

"Hah, I can do that too!" Wario shouted and raised his own fist.

Unfortunately for Wario, he wasn't nearly as strong as the heir of the Saotome school of Anything Goes. When Ranma's punch hit his fist, the immense pain made him believe that the pig-tailed youth had shattered his whole hand. And then the force of the blow threw him backwards, where he collided with the wall.

"Ouch..." he muttered and fell down to the ground, leaving a Wario-shaped dent in the stone.

Ranma sighed. "Finally... now I can bring Kodachi her rose back."

"WHAT??"

Ranma gulped. He turned around and saw his uncute/beautiful/angry fiancee standing there... and she didn't look too happy.

In fact, Akane was steaming. "Would you be so kind and repeat that, Ranma?" she grumbled.

Ranma grinned nervously. "Eheheheh... this isn't as it sounds like, Akane..."

"YOU TWO-TIMING JERK!" Akane screamed. "I knew it! When she glomped you this morning, I knew you liked it! You are secretly dating her, right? You are such a... such a..."

Luigi blinked, and Kat and Ana looked at each other in confusion.

"Uh, is she always acting like that?" Kat asked Nabiki.

Nabiki sighed. "Believe me, it's can be much, much worse than now..."

"RANMA NO BAKA!"

WHAM!

Nabiki nodded. "Yup... here we go again!"

"AH! Master Luigi, Master Luigi!"

Luigi turned around. "Eh? What's-a matter, Toadsworth?"

The mushroom minister came to a stop of the tall Mario Brother and panted. "I... I just wanted to make sure that the money Wario had with him was still back in the guest room, but... when I looked, I realized that..."

"What? Is the money gone?"

"No, it's still there, but... the rose! The black rose Master Ranma wanted to return to his friend... it's gone!"

"What?" Luigi asked in surprise. "But how?"

----

Kamek chuckled as he removed the Boo Sheet that granted him invisibility. "Nyeheheheheheh..." he cackled as he looked at the black rose he was holding. "I knew I couldn't trust those two buffoons... if you want a job done well, do it yourself!"

He grinned with satisfaction while his broomstick carried him back to the borders of the Koopa Kingdom. "Now all I need is my grandson's bandana... and then I will be able to brew my super-potion! And then, nobody will be able to resist me anymore! Not my delinquent daughter, not the Mario Brothers... and not even King Bowser! Hahahahahahahahaaah..."

----

"Lemme go, you big bully! I mean it!" Princess Daisy struggled against the grips of her captors, trying to get free.

"No way, princess!" the brown-scaled Koopa Kid sneered, while he sat at the controls of his mini-airship. "You're coming home with us, Dad's looking forward to see you again!"

"Whatever stupid plan your moronic father has come up with now, it won't work!"

Morton Koopa Jr. sighed. "Roy, would you please...?"

His even heavier brother grunted as response and put a gag into the flailing princess mouth.

"There, that should do it!" Morton nodded and looked downwards, where the lava-surrounded castle was appearing. "Now let's land this thing and bring her to Daddy Bowser!" He grinned. "I can't wait to see what he's going to give us as a reward..."

Roy's only answer was a malicious chuckle.

----

"YOU FOOLS!" King Bowser Koopa roared when his two overweight sons put down the tied princess in front of him. "You brought me the wrong one, you idiots! That's not Princess Peach, that's Princess Daisy!"

Morton and Roy looked at each other in surprise, then Morton gave his brother a bonk on the head. "That's your fault, I told you to read the instructions more closely!"

Roy muttered something unintelligible.

Morton gritted his teeth. "I was the one who read the instructions? Well, you could have told me that I was doing a mistake..."

"Enough of that!" Bowser roared in a voice that made even his two tough sons cringe. "We just have to improvise... Tell me, princess, is it true that you have special... feelings for a certain, green-clothed plumber?"

"Mffffmmmmfffmmffff!" Daisy mumbled through her gag.

"What was that? Oh, right... boys, please..."

Morton ripped the gag out of the yellow-dressed princess' mouth. Daisy glared at him furiously. "You little slime! Why, when I get my hands on you, I'll..."

"Princess Daisy, where are your manners?" Bowser said. "And please, answer the question!"

"What's there to answer? Of course I like Luigi, he's tall, handsome, strong, brave..."

"Brave?" Morton whispered to Roy and snickered.

"Well, then our plan might just work out anyways. When Luigi learns of your kidnapping, he will come to rescue you."

"You bet he will!" Daisy proclaimed.

Bowser nodded. "Yes, and when one brother comes, the other one won't be too far. The Mario Brothers will come here to save you, and then I will be able to beat them both at once."

Morton sweatdropped. "Eh, Dad? That is your ingenious plan? Another kidnapping-and-lure-tactic? Then why did we prepare the new battleship for? For nothing? I mean, you repeatedly tried that with Princess Peach, and it never worked..."

"This time will be different," Bowser said in a confident voice. "Besides, you know the mechanics still need a week to fix that thing... and I definitely can't wait for so long. I WANNA BEAT MARIO!"

"You just wanna snuggle up with Princess Peach..." Morton mumbled.

"What was that?" Bowser asked.

"Um, I didn't say anything."

"Good. Now, take her away!"

"Okay," Morton replied. "But where to? You know the cells are all stuffed with those classical music CDs Ludwig bought on the Internet a couple of days ago..."

Bowser sighed. "Then just bring them to Junior... I'm sure he will find a way to keep her from running away."

"You'll all be sorry for this!" Daisy screamed as Roy and Morton dragged her out of the throne room. "Luigi will come to my rescue, and then he will wipe the floor with every single one of you!"

----

Iggy sweated while he was hanging upside-down from the walls of his younger brother's chamber.

"Any last words, Iggy?" Junior chuckled as he was standing next to a large lever.

"Please, Junior... not any more! This is cruel! I am your brother!"

Junior tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Wellll... I might be tempted to release you if you apologize to Wendy..."

"R-r-really?" Iggy asked hopefully.

Junior grinned. "NO WAY!" he shouted and pushed the lever forwards.

"WHHAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Iggy screamed as he was lowered into the tank of water that was beneath him.

The door to Juniors 'playing ground' opened, and Morton and Roy came in, carrying a pissed-off princess with brown hair.

"Yo, little bro, we've got something for you!" Morton said.

"Can't you wait?" Junior asked in annoyance. "You see I'm still busy with Iggy..."

"But... but Dad wanted you to take care of this little princess for him."

"Oh well..." Junior sighed. "I guess I can do that..." He approached Daisy and walked around her, carefully watching her.

"Do I have something on my face?" Daisy asked in an irritated tone of voice. That little guy was creeping her out, seriously.

Finally, Junior nodded and said: "She will do. Okay, sweetie, for the next few weeks... I want you to be my slave!"

"WHAT?" Daisy shrieked with outrage. "You... you horrible little monster! Just wait until my Luigi finds out about this, and then you'll be sorry..."

Morton covered his ears. "Can't she talk about something else?"

"Seems like she lacks the proper motivation..." Junior muttered. Then an evil glint appeared in his eyes. "Maybe Kamek has a nice mind control potion or something similar... Okay, guys, hang her up!"

"Um... where?" Morton asked.

"Oh, right..." Junior said. "The rope is occupied... wait a sec..."

He walked back to his lever and pulled it back. Instantly, the rope got pulled back out of the water tank, revealing a drenched Iggy... and a dozen of Baby Bloopers sticking to his body.

"G-get them off!" he cried and shook his arms and legs around. "GET THEM OFF!"

----

Kamek was sitting in his dark laboratory, his wrinkled hand clutching a black rose. He stared down into the bubbly depths of his cauldron and cackled.

"Finally, it's ready!" he murmured. "The ultimate potion... I only need to put the final two, powerful ingredients... magical items that have been in the possession of my relatives. Kodachi's black rose will raise my magical powers to an incredible level... and as soon as I add Ryoga's bandana, it will give me the strength of fifty Koopas!"

He let go of the black flower, and it slowly fell down into the boiling potion. Its colors changed from a sickly green into a deep black."

"Let's just hope my grandson doesn't keep me waiting for a long time..." he muttered. "I want that bandana! And when that potion is finished, and I drank it... I will be able to control them with my mind! And then... they will become the two most powerful generals of my own, new Koopa army! Nyeheheheheheh..."

Then he yawned. "Damn, I'm really getting old..." he mumbled. "A few years ago, I was able to brew potions during all night... but now, I need a nap."

He shuffled over to his bed, put his spectacles onto the night stand next to him, turned around and fell asleep.

Shortly afterwards, the door to his laboratory opened. "Yo, gramps? Are you here?"

Junior hopped down the stairs and looked around. "Where's the old coot?" he muttered, until he saw Kamek lying in his bed.

"Figures he would be snoring when I need him..." the Koopa crown prince grumbled. Then his gaze fell upon the cauldron.

He hopped upon a stool and looked inside. "Wow," he said. "That must be one of Kamek's infamous mind control potions... maybe I can use that to turn that girl into my personal slave."

He took one of Kamek's test-tubes and filled it with a swig of the hot potion. After he corked it, he looked at the sleeping form of Kamek.

"He probably won't even notice that I took a little sip... now, let's see if that stuff really works!" And he ran up the stairs again.

Kamek was stirring in his sleep, mumbled and turned around again.

----

When Junior was back in his room, Morton, Roy and Iggy had already left. Daisy was hanging from the rope Iggy had been dangling from just minutes ago, but at least she wasn't upside-down.

Junior put a small ladder next to her and climbed up, until he was next to her face. He showed her the test-tube he had brought from Kamek's lab. "Here, drink this!"

Daisy retched. "Yuck! What is that stuff, you creep? That smells worse than the canals below Toad Town! You can drink that yourself!"

That last statement made Junior wonder. What if he had to drink the potion himself to control her? If that was true, and he let her drink it, then she would be able to turn HIM into her slave. He shuddered at the thought.

He climbed back down the ladder, grinned up at the captive princess and said: "Thanks, princess! I almost made a terrible mistake!" And then he swallowed the black potion.

A jolt of magical energy was making his body twitch around. Junior yelled loudly as sparks came flying out of his nostrils, and smoke came out of his ears. He ran around the room hastily, shouting: "I'MGONNADIEI'MGONNADIEI'MGONNADIE!"

And then... it was over!

Junior stopped right in front of Daisy and opened his eyes. Daisy gasped when she looked at his eyes... they had turned into tiny flames.

"Incredible..." the youngest Koopaling murmured. "All this magical power... that was no normal mind control potion... Kamek must have made this to increase his own powers!" He laughed. "But now I am the most powerful Koopa around here!"

"Oh, really?" Daisy huffed. "I think you are just an arrogant kid on drugs."

Junior looked at her. "So, you don't believe in my powers, princess? We'll see..."

He reached for his favorite tool, the magic brush he stole from Professor E. Gadd some time ago. "You know this thing, do you?" he asked her. "Well, now that my powers are increased, I can do so much more with it..."

He grabbed the brush with both of his hands, jumped up and... flung it across Daisy's dress and face a couple of times, until she was covered with a grey, paint-like substance.

"Ewww, gross!" she cried out. "Some of that stuff got into my eyes! And my hair... you ruined it! What was the big idea?"

Junior jumped back down to the floor and chuckled. "Just wait and see, sweetie... just wait and see..."

And then, in a swirl of colors and lights, Daisy got twirled around, her body changing shape, her clothes becoming completely shredded, until she slumped against the cold stone wall once again.

"A true masterpiece!" Junior nodded with satisfaction. "You'll make a loyal slave!"

"Wha... what the...?" Daisy murmured and looked down at herself. She shrieked when she noticed that her dress was torn apart. Then she shrieked again when she noticed that she was covered with grey fur. "What... what did you do to me?" She then saw something thin and ropey dangling down between her legs... something that looked just like the tail of...

"EEEEEEK!" she screamed. "You turned me into a rat!!"

"Not just any rat, princess!" Junior snickered and showed her a mirror. "You now are a MOUSER!"

Daisy looked into the mirror and recognized her crown, her brown hair and traces of her old face. Her body was still pretty much in the same shape as before... even though she could swear that her boobs were a bit bigger than before.

But she was now pretty much a humanoid rat. Her ears were big and round and had moved to the top of her head. In the middle of her face, a short and cute muzzle had appeared, complete with rodent teeth. Her body was covered with grey fur that was just thick enough to cover her privates, and then there was the naked tail she had noticed earlier.

She was indeed a Mouser, one of the humanoid rats that hailed from the dream world Subcon.

"You... you turned me into a FREAK!" she yelled.

"What's the matter, I think you look nice!" Junior grinned. "And now, to test my new abilities even further..." He activated the lever again and released Daisy from the rope.

"I'm outta here!" Daisy yelled as soon as her paws touched the floor. She turned around and ran, her rat's tail waving after her.

"STAY!" Junior ordered.

Daisy suddenly felt the incredible urge to follow his orders. Against her will, she stopped right were she stood and didn't move anymore.

"What... what happened? Why can't I move?"

"Because I turned you into my slave... and you will have to do everything I tell you!" Junior laughed. "This is great! Just think of all the pranks I'll be able to pull with these powers!"

He then smirked and rubbed his scaly cheek. "You know... I probably should pay 'Mama Peach' a small visit..."

He turned around to leave his chamber and waved to the 'rattified' princess. "Come along, slave!"

Daisy sighed as she walked after him. "You know I'm going to kill you for this... right after Luigi found a way to turn me back..."


	8. Wario's worst nightmare

"Really, Akane!" Nabiki shook her head as she watched how several Toads pulled Ranma out of the hole in front of them her younger sister had created by pounding her fiance into the ground. "If you keep on doing that, there won't be much of him left."

"Serves the baka right..." Akane grumbled. "Now that I know he's after that insane Kodachi..."

"Maybe you should listen to his version of the story first, Akane?" Kodachi suggested with a smile while she was brushing her new raccoon tail. She decided to keep it for a while because she found it extremely cute.

Kat and Ana had left a few minute ago, together with a huge bag that contained Wario. They promised Luigi to make sure that he wouldn't bother them for a while, and that they would make sure to give him a proper punishment.

When Ranma was out of the hole, he shook his head. "Man... that tomboy's getting more and more violent by the day..."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Akane yelled and raised her mallet.

"Now, now, settle down there, youngsters!" Toadsworth tried calming them down. "We have more important stuff to talk about, you know?"

"Yeah, like the Black Rose you tried getting back from Wario," Luigi nodded. He felt very uncomfortable and looked down at his feet. "I'm afraid that-a someone was able to take it away during the battle."

"What?" Ranma shouted. "But how? Wario was fighting me the whole time. And as far as I understood, that ghost guy had possessed the fountain, right?"

"Yup!" Luigi replied and patted the side of his Poltergust. "Until I sucked him in here!"

"One day, I will have my revenge!" came the muffled voice of King Boo out of the vacuum cleaner."

"But who else could be interested in that rose?" Toadsworth wondered. "And why did they try to get it in the first place?"

"Excuse me," Nabiki spoke up. "But what flower are we talking about, exactly?"

"Oh right, you couldn't know," Ranma said. "Ya know, Kodachi had this black rose, and she said it was pretty important to her... and when I saw how that creep took off with it, I figured: Why not bring it back to her? I mean, stealing is stealing, no matter if it's stolen from Kodachi or anyone else!"

"Wow, for once, you actually make sense, Saotome!" Nabiki smirked.

"Whatever..." Akane snorted. "I'm still angry at you for talking to that gymnast maniac!"

"This 'Gymnast Maniac' would like to inform you that this rose is much more to her than just a souvenir, Akane Tendo!"

Akane turned around. "That voice..."

They all looked at the group of people and creatures that were just entering the courtyard. They were led by a stout man who was wearing a red shirt and cap.

"Hey, Luigi!" he said and waved. "It's-a me, Mario!"

Luigi grinned. "Maaariooo!"

"Luigi!"

Ranma and the Tendos sweatdropped while they watched how the two plumbers hugged each other. "What's up with them?" Ranma muttered.

Peach smiled as she slid off Yoshi's saddle. "Mario and Luigi always tend to get emotional when they are separated for some time. But it's nice to see how much siblings can care for each other, right?"

"Oh, definitely!" Kasumi nodded and smiled.

Akane, however, was still looking at the turtle-creature who had talked in a very familiar voice. She also knew that she had seen that ponytail before. "K... kodachi?"

The female Koopa sneered. "Go ahead and laugh, Tendo! I know I look horrible, and that it exact the same reason why I need to retrieve my rose: So I can lift this curse which is placed upon my body!"

Akane tried very much not to laugh out loud, and Nabiki grinned and said: "Well, I have seen several strange things ever since Saotome came into our lives, but this is the first time I've seen a turtle that can do Martial Arts Gymnastics."

Kodachi snorted. "Spare me the sarcasm, Nabiki Tendo! Do you think I chose to look like this? I already told you, it was the result of a spell!"

"That's not quite correct, Kodachi!" said another Koopa as he stepped forward. "Actually, it was a magic spell that turned both of us into humans in the first place."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Kodachi shouted.

Ranma frowned when he saw the bandana around the Koopa's head. "Hey... doesn't that look like Ryoga's?"

Ryoga snarled at his rival. "Figures it would take you some time to make the connection, Ranma," he grumbled.

Ranma gaped. "Hey, it IS you! Man, what the heck happened to you?"

"I don't see how's that any of your business, Ranma!" Ryoga snapped.

"Ryoga..." Akane said and knelt down in front of him, as he was barely reaching up to her chest at his new size. "How... how did this happen? Don't you even want to tell me?"

The eternally lost boy sighed. "Well, it's... it's a long story, but before I can tell you, there's someone I want you to meet, Akane."

He gestured at the two remaining Koopas that accompanied him and smiled. "Everyone, I want you to meet my... my parents! My true, biological parents - and the parents of Kodachi! Kenny Koopa and Kimmy Koopa!"

"Hello, everyone!" Kenny waved.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Kimmy said.

Ranma and the Tendos looked at the two Koopas. Then they looked at Ryoga. Then at Kodachi. In the end, Nabiki muttered: "Wow... and here I thought our life couldn't get any weirder..."

----

Daisy groaned. "How far have we got to go? These plains go on endlessly, and my feet are killing me! Can't we at least take a rest? I'm tired and hungry! Yuck! And there's all kind of STUFF sticking to my fur! Have you no mercy? Hellooo? Are you listening to me?"

Junior groaned as well as he had to listen to that sermon of complaints. 'She's worse than my own sister,' he thought.

"Enough!" he finally shouted, stopped walking and turned to face her. "I've had it with your nagging! We won't take a rest until we reach the castle of Mama Peach!"

"Do you even know if you're walking into the right direction?" the mouse-girl asked. "Do you know how horrible this is for me? I'm a princess, I'm a fragile being, and I'm not even wearing shoes."

"You aren't wearing anything!" Junior seethed. "You are a Mouser! Mousers don't wear clothes! The only thing on you is your crown!"

"Damn right!" Daisy shouted and pressed her crown down on her head. "As long as I wear it, I'm not naked. Therefore, you won't be able to make me take it off!"

Junior sighed. "Whatever... Listen, I want to reach the borders today, and I want you to stop your complaints until we get there, understood?"

Daisy sighed. "Yeah, understood... you ugly little punk!"

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

"Good! Now, let's get goi..."

"STOP!" a commanding voice shouted as two shapes came popping out of the earth in front of them. It was a pair of sunglasses-wearing moles.

"This is Monty Mole territory!" said the right one. "No one shall pass without paying us an appropriate amount of coins!"

Junior groaned. "Oh, I have no time for this... Slave, get rid of them!"

Daisy grinned. She couldn't stand Monty Moles, they normally were pesky little troublemakers. "With pleasure!"

She held out her hand, and out of nowhere, a round object appeared in it.

The left Monty Mole nudged his companion. "Hey, what's she holding?"

"I dunno..." the right one replied, lifted his sunglasses and squinted his eyes. "But it looks remarkably similar to a... a bomb..."

"And... it looks like she... she's throwing it... THIS WAY!"

"BOMBS AWAY!" Daisy yelled and bombarded the little pests with a shower of explosives.

A big amount of loud 'KABOOMs' and yells of pain later, the smoke lifted and revealed the charred and twitching forms of two moles.

Although Daisy hated her new looks and her role as the Koopa prince's slave, she had to admit: That had been FUN!

"Oh yeah!" she grinned. "That was a blast!"

----

Akane peered over to where Kodachi was sitting. The young Koopa-girl had a deep frown on her face, and every time her (biological) mother Kimmy tried to talk to her, she replied with harsh words. But Akane could see how hard it was for the gymnast to deal with the situation. Akane still thought that Kodachi was a delusional lunatic, but... she somehow felt pity for her.

They were all sitting in the great hall of the princess' castle, to plan their next steps. Ranma, Akane and her sisters learned about everything what was going on from Ryoga, Mario and Peach, while Kodachi had been silent the whole time. Akane, Kodachi and Nabiki could have easily been escorted back home by an escort of Toads - Luigi had even volunteered to lead the squad - but after hearing about Kodachi's and especially Ryoga's plight, they decided to stay here. Besides, while Kasumi had been the only one to admit it, all three of the Tendo sisters were intrigued about this new, wonderful world.

As for Ranma, he was clearly determined to help Ryoga and Kodachi, as he was always willing to help those who were in need. Even though Ryoga said he didn't need his old rival's help, it was clear that he was indeed grateful.

"Now, what shall we do next?" Princess Peach asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ranma asked. "We go after that creep Kamek and tell him to lift the curse from Kodachi and Ryoga."

"I wish it was that easy, Ranma," Mario sighed. "But-a Kamek lives within Bowser's keep... and that's-a always guarded by his army. And while we have snuck into his castle a few times to save the princess, it won't be an easy feat."

"Mario's right," Peach nodded. "We should wait for the right moment before doing anything rash."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Ryoga grumbled. "Should we just stay here and wait until Kamek comes to us?"

"We could always consult the books in the royal library," Toadsworth suggested. "I'm sure there are many tomes that could help us find a solution by ourselves."

"Digging through a pile of dusty old books? No thanks!" Ranma grimaced. "We need to take action. I say we go there and get that creep!"

"How typical of you, Ranma!" Akane frowned. "You always barge headfirst into trouble."

"Shouldn't we let Ryoga and Kodachi decide?" Kasumi spoke up. "After all, they are the ones with the curse, so I think letting them decide is only the right thing to do."

"Good point!" Kenny nodded. "Well, Ryoga, what do you say?"

"I dunno..." the bandana-clad Koopa frowned. "While I agree with Ranma, I don't really know much about that Bowser guy and his goons... I'm used to fight martial artists, not spell casters."

"Besides, you would get lost within seconds if you tried to find even the entrance," Nabiki pointed out. Ryoga gave her an angry glare.

"And what about you, Kodachi?" Peach asked. "What do you think we should do?"

Kodachi didn't reply right away. She still was staring down at her feet.

Finally, she said: "I don't see how there is any 'curse' put on me. The only curse is this abominable body... and I want to get rid of it as fast as possible!"

"She has a point," Luigi said. "She shouldn't be forced to live in a body she doesn't want to have, no matter if she was born in that body or not."

"Well, there are two things we could do to solve that problem," Peach said. "We can try to find the rose Wario tried to steal from her... or we can search for another way to control the spell."

"I thought the spell was put on the rose, not on Kodachi herself," Kimmy wondered.

"I know a bit about magic," Peach smiled. "And I can see that over those years, part of that magic has entered Kodachi's and Ryoga's bodies. They still need the artifacts to control the magic, though... but if we could find a way to control that magic without them..."

Mario tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Merlon... do you think the old wizard knows of a way how we can help them without having to retrieve the rose from Kamek?"

"Well, it's worth a try," Ryoga said. "While I really don't mind this Koopa body, finding a way to change back to human without my bandana would make me feel much more comfortable."

"Then we should go and see him right away," Mario suggested and stood up from the table.

"Wait a minute!" Ranma stopped him. "Shouldn't we prepare for battle anyway? I mean, we don't know if this Merlon guy really has a solution."

"Ranma is right," Kimmy nodded. "Attacking Bowser's keep head-on wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, but if we can sneak in without being detected somehow, our new friends should know what they're up against. I have been in Bowser's army once... I know everything about his weapons and his soldiers' tactics."

Ranma looked at her with interest. "Say... could you train me, to show me how to fight effectively against such weapons? I mean, I'm still the best martial artist in the world..."

Ryoga huffed.

"But if those guys fight with cannons, rockets or magical spells, I should probably prepare for such a fight."

"Good idea, Ranma!" Akane said. "I'm with you."

"Well, you have a good idea every now and then... Ryoga grumbled." I would like to join you, but I better go to that magician guy first."

"Okeydokey then," Mario said. "I'm-a gonna go to Merlon and ask him about the spell... Kodachi and Ryoga should come along with me."

"Kimmy, you can train with Ranma and Akane in the courtyard," Peach suggested. "Toad, please go along with them and make sure they get everything they need."

"All right," the mushroom retainer sighed. "As long as they don't use me as a shield or something..."

"Toadsworth, we should go into the library and look if we can find anything by ourselves," Peach then added.

"Nabiki and I can help you," Kasumi said with a smile. "Right, Nabiki?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, why not?"

"Alrighty then," Mario shouted. "Let's-a go!"

----

Kodachi and Ryoga followed Mario as he walked out of the castle and into Toad-Town, the capital of the Mushroom Kingdoms. It was mainly inhabited by Toads, even though members of other races lived here as well, Koopas, Shyguys and also a few Shamans.

The Shamans were an ancient race that were skilled in the ways of magic. Centuries ago, they have studied the mystical energies of the moon and the stars, until the very essence of magic itself was flowing through their veins. There has been a big nation of Shamans a long time ago, but now, only few of them were left.

Merlon and his family were members of the Shaman race. And while they were often travelling around the Mushroom World to help heroes like Mario, and other people in need, Merlon's house was situated in Toad-Town.

"Ryoga, it's-a this way!" Mario grabbed Ryoga's hand and pulled him along, just as the young Koopa wanted to walk past the Post Office.

Ryoga grimaced. "Sorry, somehow, all of these buildings look the same for me..." He knew that wasn't true, of course. He really hoped that there was a way to free him from this curse, somehow...

Mario knocked against the door of the round house with the rotating roof. "Merlon, are you home? It's-a me, Mario!"

He turned around to his new friends. "He can be a bit cranky at times, but he's a wise old man, and I know nobody who knows more about magic than him."

"Let's just hope he can help us," Ryoga murmured. Kodachi stayed silent. She had come here, hoping for a quick cure, but she felt uncomfortable around those weird little mushroom people and all those other creatures. She only wanted to turn back into a human and then go back home, where she had control over her life.

The door opened and a melodic voice spoke: "Merlon is not home, but please come in!"

"Thank you!" Mario said and entered. Ryoga and Kodachi followed him.

They were standing in a circular room. Stars of light were floating along the walls, and in the middle, a round table with a glowing sphere on it was standing. Behind that table, a woman dressed in an elaborate cloak was standing, her face hidden beneath a veil of shadows.

"I knew we would meet again, Mario!" she said in her mysterious-sounding voice. "Even though I am sorry that my grandfather isn't here right now. He asked me to stay here in case anyone would be in need of assistance. Maybe I can be of service?"

"That would be great, Merluvlee," Mario replied. "See, these are two friends of mine, and they are under a spell... a spell that your grandfather has cast himself years ago. Ryoga, please show her the bandana..."

Ryoga handed the mysterious Merluvlee his bandana, and the fortune teller looked at it carefully. "Ah, yes, I recognize this magic... my grandfather has told me how he created this artifact, along with the black rose."

"You see, we are looking for a way to control the magic within us without having to depend on these items," Ryoga explained.

"I see, I see..." Merluvlee murmured. "My, my... I must admit that my magic isn't nearly as powerful as that of my grandfather... but I believe I can help you further."

"R-really?" Kodachi asked in a hopeful voice. "H-how?"

"You know, there has been a tribe of rock creatures once... their magics were most unusual, but they were almost as powerful as we Shamans. Unfortunately, their bodies have been exposed to too much magical energy within a short time span, and so, their bodies devolved into a state where they couldn't handle those powers anymore. Their intelligence dropped as well, turning them into a race of brutes and ruffians. Many of their descendants now work for King Bowser..."

Mario paled. "You can't mean..."

"I see you know what creatures I am talking about," Merluvlee nodded. "Yes, I'm talking about the Thwomps and their cousins, the Whomps. Their ancestors were called the Whonks, and they lived inside a big city of stone, which is situated in a valley north of Toad-Town. The ruins must still be there. They are also the same race that built Shhwonk Fortress, which lies east of Petalburg."

"But how can that help us?" Ryoga asked. "If they can't use their magic anymore..."

"I am not finished with my tale," Merluvlee said. "During their long reign, the Whonks have imbued many mystical rocks with their own magical energies and used them as a focus to channel their own powers. Those sacred menhirs can still be found within their old city, I'm sure... and within them, their old magic is stored. I am certain that these rocks can channel their energies through your bodies, allowing you to gain free control over the transformation of your body."

"All right!" Ryoga shouted and pumped his fist in the air. "That's just what we need! Mario, we need to get to that ruined city right away!"

"Yes, I want to regain my beautiful body as soon as possible," Kodachi agreed.

"Well, okay... Merluvlee, you said that city was north of here?"

"Indeed," the fortune teller nodded. "The city of Whonkia lies in the middle of a deep valley. It looks just like a pile of rubble from afar, but don't let yourselves be fooled. Also, beware!" She closed her eyes for a moment. "I can sense that there are creatures in there that no Toad has ever seen before. It might be that they are hostile, so take care of yourselves!"

"We will, Merluvlee!" Ryoga nodded. "And thanks for your help!"

----

Kat was having a bad day.

After she and her sister Ana had left Peach's Castle to bring back Wario to Diamond City, she had to listen to an endless tirade of profanities, insults and threats that Wario threw at them. Even worse was that he farted every now and then, just to laugh at their disgusted faces. Also, he once had an opportunity to breathe at Ana's face when she came close to him. The foul stench of garlic nearly made her pass out.

After they had left half of their way behind, Ana started to complain as well, she couldn't stand travelling with that pest anymore and she suggested just leaving him behind.

Kat was tempted to agree with her sister, but her determination not to fail her mission made her insist that it was not their place to decide Wario's fate... all of WarioWare's employees should decide. The two sisters argued and nearly didn't notice how a sleek, purple figure came sneaking up on them... until he surprised them with a stink bomb.

While the kindergarten ninjas had to cough and wheeze, Waluigi was able to free his fat brother from his bonds - once again! And now the two duos were standing across each other.

Wario grinned at his lanky brother. "Thanks for busting me out, bro! Now what do you say we teach those rebellious little brats a lesson?"

Waluigi cackled in his insane voice. "Time to plaaaayyyyy..." he snickered and pulled out two weird-looking guns. The bulkier one, he gave to his brother. The smaller, but longer one, he took himself.

Kat and Ana were prepared for anything. They knew that whatever those two had come up with never was good news.

And when the Wario Brothers opened fire, the two ninja girls found themselves being pelted by garlic (coming from Wario's weapon) and eggplants (coming from Waluigi's weapon).

"Sis, we fought many adversaries in our lives," Ana winced. "We took on undead warriors and powerful onis... but never before have I seen such a ridiculous choice of weapon!"

"You're right!" Kat frowned. "This battle is a farce. We have to end this quickly."

"But why?" Ana whined. "Why can't we just go home and leave them alone?"

"Ana, this isn't about fulfilling our mission anymore... this is about honor! They have insulted us by using those weapons, and we have to reclaim our honor by defeating them."

"If you say so..." Ana wasn't too convinced, but she always listened to what her sister said.

Kat pulled out her ninja sword and halved all the onions that came flying at her. Meanwhile, Ana had pulled out a few shuriken and threw them at Waluigi, effectively sticking a few eggplants to the wooden surface of a tree with her sharp throwing weapons.

"I'm getting tired of this..." Wario grumbled after some time.

Waluigi grinned maniacally and grabbed into his bag. "Time to pull out the big one, Wario..."

And he held up the biggest Bob-Omb Kat and Ana had ever seen in their lives.

Ana gasped. "When that thing explodes, the whole forest will be blown up!"

The Bob-Omb struggled a bit in Waluigi's grasp. "Hey, don't pull me into this!"

"Too late!" Waluigi grinned as he lit the fuse. "Time for a big bang!"

"Anyone talking about bombs?" a voice suddenly spoke up.

Surprised, they all looked to the right, where someone had just come out from between the trees. It was a tiny Koopa with small spikes on his shell. He was also wearing a kerchief that showed an image of a set of sharp teeth. In his hands, he was holding a huge paint brush. He also was accompanied by a female mouse-girl that somehow looked familiar to the two scoundrels.

"Hey, aren't you Bowser's kid?" Wario asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "What are you doing here?"

Junior grinned. "I heard someone talking about explosions, and I'm always looking for excitement on my little trip. Mind if I join the fun?"

"Go away, squirt!" Waluigi shouted while the fuse of the Bob-Omb in his hand was getting shorter and shorter. "The grownups are playing here!"

"What is going on here?" Kat demanded to know. "Who is that Koopa kid?"

Waluigi chuckled. "In a matter of seconds, he will be a scorching mark on the forest ground..."

"Um, I really don't think you should anger him, Waluigi..." the Mouser girl spoke up.

"Be quiet, servant!" Junior snapped, and Daisy found herself unable to say anything else.

But Waluigi recognized the voice. "D-d-daisy?" he stuttered. "Wh-what did that little twerp do to you? Hey, ya little vermin, you better change my girlfriend back, or I'm-a gonna blast you to pieces!"

Daisy fumed. If Junior's command didn't hinder her from talking, she would have yelled at the purple-clad scoundrel in outrage. Luigi was the only one for her.

"Hey, don't interrupt our battle!" Kat shouted.

"Um, sis, I think we really should go now..."

"Ana, I already told you: This is a matter of honor!"

"Waluigi, what-a are you waiting for? Throw that thing already!"

"Don't-a tell me what to do, bro! I decide when to throw it or not."

"Excuse me," the Bob-Omb said.

"WHAT?" everyone shouted at once.

The Bob-Omb winced. "My fuse... I'm about to blow!"

Waluigi noticed that the little, explosive guy was correct: His fuse was merely a few centimeters long... and he was still holding it in his hand.

"OH NOOOOOOO!" he shouted and threw the Bob-Omb away... directly towards Junior and Daisy. "NOOOOOO!" Waluigi yelled when he realized what he had done. "DAISYYYY!"

But Daisy reacted quickly. Producing a bomb of her own, she intercepted the Bob-Omb's flying path with her own weapon. The living and the inanimate bomb met each other half way between their two throwers and exploded. The spectacular blast threw everybody to the ground... except Junior who had quickly created a shield made of solid, quick-drying paint goop.

He laughed when he looked at the explosive crater and the twitching bodies that were lying around everywhere. "Whahahahahah! Now that was fun!"

The Bob-Omb fell down from the sky and landed in the middle of the crater. His fuse was gone, but his body was still intact.

"Ow..." he mumbled and fell over, unconscious.

Junior took a good look at the limp bodies and smirked. "Now, what to do with them...?"

----

When Wario woke up, he instantly knew that something was wrong... very wrong! Normally, when standing up, he had to lift all of his bulk, especially the bulk of his flabby stomach. He also was normally looking at the tip of his nose, which was so big, that it was constantly in his field of vision.

But now... he couldn't see anything of his nose, and the only weight he felt was the weight of two strange things that seemed to be attached to his chest. He reached for his nose... and gasped when he only felt a tiny, petite little snub nose. There was also no trace of his mustache.

"Wh-what happened to my face?" he asked in a high, melodic voice. Surprised, he reached for his throat. "M-my voice..."

He turned around when he heard Junior's laughter behind him. The Koopa prince was lying on the forest ground on his back, kicking his stubby legs around in his amusement. Daisy was standing nearby. She looked like she tried very hard not to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Wario demanded to know. "And what happened to my voice?"

"Wario?" another sweet voice next to him exclaimed. "Is that you?"

Wario turned around and saw a tall, curvaceous girl standing next to him, with the sweetest face and the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen in his life. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was dressed in a violet maid's dress, complete with apron and feather duster.

And in the middle of her apron, a very special symbol was visible. A symbol Wario had seen before: It was an upside-down L.

"Waluigi?" he gasped.

Or rather, she.

Because when Wario looked down at herself, she realized that she has been turned into a girl that could be the sister of the girl Waluigi had been transformed in. Only was she more small and petite, and her brown, curly hair was falling across her shoulders. She was wearing a yellow maid's dress and an apron with a big 'W' on it.

"The two of you made quite the mess," Junior grinned. "So I decided it would just be fitting if you would clean it up yourselves. From now on, you will be my personal maids, Varita and Valerie. You will only listen to those names and address each other by those names. You will listen to any of my commands and when I ask you to do something you will say: 'Oui, monsieur!' Understood?"

And Varita and Valerie found themselves compelled to bow down in front of the Koopa prince and say "Oui, monsieur!" Together, their voices sounded even sweeter.

"Good," Junior nodded with satisfaction. "Now start by cleaning up this mess you made around here, okay?"

"Oui, monsieur!" the two maids replied and got to work. They picked up every piece of garlic and every eggplant they could find, dusted the trees and raked the leaves until the battlefield looked even more presentable than it did before the battle began.

Although Daisy knew that Junior's powers would not only mean trouble for her and the Wario brothers, but also for all of the Mushroom World, she had to grin when she observed the two meek maids clean up the forest.

"You know, Wario always was the most disgusting man I knew..." she said. "But it's good to know that now, he will clean up every bit of dirt and filth instead of making it."

'This is hell...' Varita thought, while she was forced to do something she would have never done as Wario. 'My lovely smell of garlic... my comfortable potbelly... and my powerful muscles... all gone!' She took a sniff and wrinkled her nose in disgust. 'Yuck... it's even worse, we reek of perfume...'

Junior then knelt down in front of a little flower and a small mushroom that were growing next to each other. "Now, I'm afraid we'll have to leave. I'm sorry I have to leave you like this, but I'm pretty sure that sooner or later, someone will come by and find you. Until then, have fun!"

The Koopa prince chuckled as he got up and walked away. His bodyguard and his new, personal maids followed him.

The orange-spotted mushroom glanced over at the pink flower. "I knew we should have fled when we had the chance! Nice job, Kat!"

The pink flower winced. "How was I supposed to know something like this was going to happen, Ana?"

She really was having a bad day...


	9. Wings for Kodachi

North of Toad-Town, a pair of young Koopas was following the most famous plumber of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"I don't believe it," Kodachi huffed as she looked at the scenery around them. "Floating blocks... huge, green pipes that come out of the ground... What kind of twisted world is this? The flowers, the hills, even the clouds have eyes... STOP LOOKING AT ME!!" she yelled at a little flower who was growing next to the path that was winding through the green hills.

"You've got to get used to this, Kodachi," Mario explained while they kept walking. "Here in the Mushroom World, all of this is normal... and you haven't seen anything yet! But-a I can see how all this must be seem weird to you, after all, I have spend a few years on-a Earth myself."

"You've been in our world before?" Ryoga asked, taken aback.

"Sure," Mario nodded. "Luigi and I were born in the Mushroom Kingdom, but in our youth, we went to Brooklyn, where we took on a few jobs. I worked as a carpenter for a while, and together, we worked on a construction site... but let's not talk about that one."

"So why are you still here?" Kodachi wondered. "Here, in this ridiculous land of walking reptiles and sentient plants! This is madness! I would go insane if I had to spend more than one month here."

"But this is where I was born," Mario replied, surprised at her outburst. "The Mushroom World is colorful and interesting, and even if there are several trouble makers like Bowser, I would never give up all of this. I have so many wonderful memories tied to this place... and so many friends! I could never abandon them all."

"Well, not me!" the pony-tailed turtle huffed. "My friends are all back on Earth! I don't need any freakish critters from here to become my friends."

"Friends?" Ryoga snorted. "I've never seen you with anyone who you could call your friend. I might not be in Nerima often, but from what Ranma and Akane told me, the only girls you hang out with are the members of your rythmic gymnastics team... and they are more your lackeys than your friends. Not to forget your demented family and poor Sasuke..."

"How dare you speak of my family in such a manner!" Kodachi yelled with outrage. "The Kunos are the most noble family in all of Nerima! My are descendants of the most honorable samurai, and have ties to the emperor himself!"

"In your dreams..." Ryoga muttered.

"I really think you should change your ways of thinking, Kodachi," Mario said. "Oh, excuse me for a minute..." Spotting a feral Goomba, Mario pounded him flat by jumping on his head. "Okeydokey, what was I saying? Ah, I know! Kodachi, if you continue to look down on everything that may be unfamiliar to you, you might miss the chance to discover how beautiful the world really is... both of our worlds!"

"You jest! How can I ever think that horrible little people with Mushroom hats can ever be wonderful?"

"I'm-a not saying that you should start to love everyone, but let's start with Kimmy and Kenny. They are very nice people, and just think about what they went through. You might not remember them from when you are babies, but imagine how they must have felt when they gave you up. Couldn't you at least feel a bit pity for them?"

"They're not my parents! And even if they were, why should I bother with them? They abandoned their babies, right? In my opinion, that kind of action takes away their right to call themselves the babies' parents."

Ryoga was taken aback. Was it just him, or did Kodachi start to consider being his sister?

"You must remember that they wanted to keep you," Mario said in a sad voice. "Toadsworth screwed up, sure, and they let themselves being fooled by what he said... and also consider the situation they were in. Kamek was after them, could they really risk it that he got his hands on you two? Their emotions sorta clouded their judgement."

"Stop talking like they were my parents!" Kodachi yelled. "I'm not a... a..." She looked down at her scaly hands. "MONSTER!"

"Neither am I, Kodachi," Ryoga said sternly. "As much as I would like to close my eyes and just go back to my normal life, Kodachi, this is who we are. We were born as Koopas, in this world, and then we were brought to Nerima. We turned into humans... and not just our bodies. We grew up as human beings in human families. We never knew of our birth place. Of course we are humans, no matter what we look like. Still..." He patted her on her black shell. "Aren't you curious? I mean, all of this opened a new possibility for us. New abilities, a whole new world to explore!"

"And to get lost in!" the gymnast growled.

Ryoga frowned. "What I want to say is, why resist so hard against it? We have to find a way to turn you back into a human, true... but that fortune teller told us there was a way for us to control the transformation. It's your own decision to change when you want to... but stop condemning this world just because you don't know it!"

Kodachi was bewildered. "R-ryoga?" She never heard him talk like that before... especially not to her.

The bandana-clad turtle boy smirked at her. "You are my sis, like it or not! And I don't want to see you make your life miserable by deluding yourself like that. Can't you see it's just the curse speaking? You don't have to be their daughter, you know? Instead, try to think of them as your... friends!"

"F-friends..." Kodachi murmured. She didn't notice it, but her hands were shaking. In all her life, she had wished for nothing more than a true friend. She always tried to pressure others into following her, but she suddenly realized that they were just afraid of her.

Then she winced. "Why should I be their friend? I don't know them! They never gave me anything!"

"That reminds me..." Mario suddenly said and pulled something out of his pocket. "Kimmy asked me to give this to you. She said she used it quite often when she was younger... and she wanted you to have it. She said it might come in handy."

Kodachi stared at the tiny wing in Mario's hand. When she touched it, it felt very soft and downy. "Wh-what is this?" she stuttered.

Mario grinned. "A Para-Wing! Koopas and Goombas use them to fly. Why don't you try it out?"

Kodachi took the small wing and swept her hand across its soft feathers.

"This... is the first present I ever received since my... mother passed away..." she murmured. For a while, she was very tempted to attach the cute little wing to her shell.

Then she grimaced. "Ah, this is nonsense! They are not my parents! I am not a Koopa and I don't need this!" She angrily stuffed the Para-Wing into her shell. "Now let's get going!"

Ryoga and Mario looked at each other and sighed. It was worth a try.

Then again, she could have ripped it into pieces, Mario pondered. She could have thrown it away or just given it back to him. But instead, she put it into her shell.

Maybe she wasn't a lost cause yet...

Suddenly, Kodachi stopped walking.

"What's-a going on?" Mario asked.

"I thought I heard something," Kodachi said as she looked around. "Over there, in the bushes..."

Ryoga gasped. "That's one of those Goomba creatures! No worries, I got this one! Shi Shi Hoko..."

"RYOGA! STOP!" Mario yelled. "It's okay, she's on our side!"

The young Goomba-girl with the blonde ponytail jumped out of the bushes in surprise and yelped. "Like, you can give a Goomba a heart attack, mister! Didn't you know that girls have fragile hearts?"

"Goombella!" Mario shouted with joy. "It's-a me!"

"Mario?" she asked in surprise. "Like, wow! I never expected to meet you out here! Small Mushroom Kingdom! Are these your friends?"

"Yup, that they are! This is Kodachi and that's Ryoga."

"Um, hi there!" Ryoga said sheepishly. "Sorry to just jump at you like that, but... I'm not from around here, you see?"

"Ah, I get it!" Goombella nodded. "You must be from one of those backwater towns where Goombas are known as brutish ruffians, right? I mean, come on! That's totally not true! In fact, I attended Goomba University and I'm aspiring to be a well-known archeologist."

"You know, we actually were going to the Whonkia Ruins," Mario explained. "Merluvlee told us they were supposed to be around here."

"Yeah, that's totally true!" Goombella nodded. "They are just behind that hill over there! But you won't be able to get in. I tried it, but there's a huge door that makes it impossible to go any further in. Bummer..."

"What?" Kodachi shrieked. "B-but we NEED to get in there!"

"Well, I'd like to take a peek at those ruins as well," Goombella said. "If I can find something that proves that the inhabitants of Whonkia were the ancestors of today's Thwomps... I would so win the Mushroom Nobel prize of archeology!"

"Then what were you doing back here?" Ryoga wondered.

"I was searching for an underground entrance. You know, like, a pipe hidden behind those bushes. But nope... I couldn't find anything! I guess you would have to fly to get in there."

"Fly, huh?" Mario asked. Ryoga raised an eyebrow. They both looked back at Kodachi.

"What are you looking at?" she ranted. "Stop that, it's irritating! You're not actually considering... Oh, no, no, no! No, I won't do that!" She shook her head. "Forget it!"

----

"Come on, why don't you give it a try?" Mario asked. "It can't hurt just to try it out, trust-a me!"

"This is ridiculous!" Kodachi huffed, as she stared at the tiny wing in her hand. "I doubt that thing really works. Turtles are not meant to have wings in the first place... such as mushrooms shouldn't be able to walk and speak!" she snapped at Goombella.

The young archeologist jumped back in surprise. "Like, what's bitten her? I heard of Koopas that refuse to become Parakoopas because of several reasons, but this..."

"Oh, just put on the goddamn wing, Kodachi!" Ryoga grumbled. "I thought you wanted to turn back into a human as fast as possible? Then I suggest you do something about this, or else we'll never be able to reach that power the fortune teller told us about."

"Oh, fine!" Kodachi muttered. "But just this once, you hear me?"

Mario wanted to help her attach the wing to her shell, but she shoved him back. "I can do this by myself!" she snapped. Her Koopa arms were much shorter than her human arms, but after a few tries, she actually managed to reach back to her shell and put the Para-Wing on it.

In a quick sparkle of light, the wing attached itself firmly to the black shell, at the same time splitting into two and doubling in size. Eventually, a black-shelled Parakoopa-girl with sizeable wings was standing in front of Mario.

He grinned. "Suits you!"

"Oh, let's get this over with..." Kodachi grumbled. She experimentally moved her new wings up and down. She shivered from the alien feelings of having additional appendages on her backside, but then, she actually managed to rise from the ground by flapping her wings continually.

She flew across the high wall of the ruined city as if it was second nature to her, and a few minutes later, the huge door in front of them opened up, revealing a disgruntled Kodachi behind it.

"Get moving, we don't have all day!" she grumbled.

Mario smirked. "That's-a more like it! Let's-a go!"

"Follow me, guys!" Goombella said excitedly as she ran as fast as her stubby little legs could carry her. "Professor Frankly taught me all he knew about Whonkia, so don't worry, I'll lead the way! Oooh, this is so incredible! Look at all those glyphs on the walls! This city is an archeologist's dream come true..."

"Whatever..." Kodachi shot back. "As long as we'll find what that witch was talking about..."

She noticed that Ryoga was smirking at her. "What?" she snapped in irritation.

"Oh, I just noticed that the wings are still on your shell," the bandana-clad Koopa said in an amused tone of voice.

"So what? We might need them again, so I figured, it would be best to just keep them for a while! I'm not doing this because I like them, understand, Hibiki?"

"Suuure you aren't," Ryoga mocked... and nearly fell into a pit that opened up in front of them.

"Ooops, I forgot to tell you," Goombella said bashfully. "These ruins are full of traps, so watch where you step, okay?"

Ryoga looked down into the pit of spikes and gulped. "I'll be careful..."

While they followed the corridor in front of them, Kodachi was brooding. She told herself that she was disgusted by those wings she had attached to her shell, but in fact, part of her was thrilled after the short flight through the air. Kodachi always loved to skip through the air, may it be in the sports hall of her school or across the roofs of Nerima, in pursuit of her darling Ranma... but she always had to submit to the laws of gravity, so all she could do was taking huge leaps. She sometimes felt that these leaps were almost like flying, but that illusion was destroyed every time her feet touched the ground or a roof.

Now, she was able to truly fly through the air. She was starting to realize how precious this gift was, but she clearly wasn't ready to accept it if using it included being a winged turtle.

Meanwhile, Mario was talking to Goombella.

"So, you're living in Toad-Town now?" Mario asked.

"Not quite," Goombella said. "I am working in Toad-Town on a part-time job, that's right, but I'm staying with this nice Goomba family in Goomba Village. Oh, and Goombario wants me to tell you that he can't wait to go on another adventure with you!" She grinned.

"Oh, so you're staying with Goombario's family! Well, then I'm not worried, those guys are the nicest Goombas I've-a ever met... well, except for you, of course!"

"Aw, you flatterer!" Gombella said with a blush. "If it weren't for my boyfriend, I'd be all over you just for that compliment, you know that?"

Mario coughed in embarrassment. "W-well, that's nice to hear... um, you have a boyfriend?"

"That's right!" Goombella said dreamily. "Goombario's the sweetest guy you can imagine, and it's just so cute how nervous he gets around me."

Mario decided just to nod. Love affairs wasn't something he was really good at. While he loved Peach from the bottom of his heart, he never really knew how he could ask her out. Luckily, he was able to show her how much he cared about her every time she got kidnapped... And while the princess and the heroic plumber had never really talked about it with each other (at least not directly), both of them pretty much knew what the other one was feeling. It was an open secret that Princess Peach and Mario were in love with each other.

There really was nobody he could ask for advice, as he really knew nobody who could help him in that regard. Toadsworth? The old servant would immediately be concerned that Peach might get too distracted from her duties as the princess.

Toad? The little guy was even more nervous in such things than Mario himself.

Toadette? No thanks, Mario didn't want the entire Mushroom Kingdom to hear about this. And the little mushroom girl could be such a horrible gossip at times...

Yoshi? The green dinosaur was pretty much a child at heart, and while he was Mario's best buddy, he knew Yoshi was a bit naive about such subjects.

That just left Princess Daisy and his brother, Luigi. But Mario was hesitant to ask them for advice, at least not until they were honest to each other about their own relationship...

----

Princess Daisy whined as she grasped her long mouse-tail and leaned against a tree. 'Luigi, where are you, my hero in green? I need your help, so come and save me already, and make it QUICK!'

Meanwhile, Junior was peering through the trees, with his two new maids at his side. They were watching the big house that was standing in the middle of the woods, the only other building nearby being a very small Toad House.

"Master, what are you planning?" Varita asked. She would have picked her nose, but her disgusting new maid's personality made her feel sick when thinking about it. She would have loved to smack the little twerp into a tree, but even if she had control over her body, her frail arms were just too weak to lift anything heavier than a mop. She looked over to her sister Valerie and saw in her face that she was feeling the same as she did.

Junior didn't notice the sparks of anger within the lovely eyes of his maids. He just looked at the two Goomba children that had come out of the house and grinned.

"Goombario!" the Goomba girl with the pink bow on her head just whined. "Where did you put my Peach Dolly? I can't find her anywhere!"

"I haven't seen your stupid doll..." the Goomba boy with the blue cap grumbled in reply. "I bet you just forgot her somewhere... again! I have no time to search for dolls now! I have to train for the next adventure with Mario."

His sister stuck out her tongue. "You just wanna impress your girlfriend, right?"

"Sh-shut up, Goombaria!" Goombario muttered.

Junior chuckled evilly as he reached for his paintbrush. "I am planning... to have some fun!"

----

Soun looked around the desolate house. "Nabiki?" No answer. He looked into the kitchen. "Kasumi?" The place was empty.

Genma looked into the dojo. "Ranma? Akane?" His voice echoed through the room, but nobody listened.

The two fathers met in the living room.

"Huh, now that's strange, Tendo!" Genma scratched his bald head. "Where could the children be?"

"I don't know... but I sure hope Kasumi will be back in time to make dinner."

"Maybe Ranma and Akane went on a training trip together!" Hope welled up within Genma's heart.

"Perhaps... but I doubt Nabiki and Kasumi would have come with them."

"Hmm... you've got a point there. Oh well... you up for a game of shogi?"

Soun grinned. "I thought you'd never ask!"

----

Happosai was running along the streets of Nerima, for once not being pursued by an angry mob of women. He wasn't on the hunt for lingerie either. This time, he was searching for the man who swindled him. And he would make sure the fat, smelly guy with the ugly nose would pay... nobody tricked the Master of Anything Goes!

"He has to be somewhere," Happosai murmured as he hopped onto a car's roof, from where he surveyed the street. "He can't just have disappeared into thin air... not with the heavy bag of money he was carrying."

He was just contemplating if he should ask around, when his eye caught something unusual lying on the sidewalk.

"Huh?" He jumped off the car and looked at the strange object. "Now what could that be?"

He carefully sniffed it. "A... mushroom? But it has weird color for a mushroom... I've never seen a white mushroom with a scary face on its front before. Hmmm..."

His hand reached out to touch the strange thing...

----

Meanwhile, in the Tendo's living room, a worried frown had appeared on Soun's face. "Saotome... maybe we should go look for them. It's not unusual that Ranma or Akane leave suddenly. Even Nabiki comes and goes as she pleases... but Kasumi as well? I don't think she went shopping, we have enough food left in the kitchen."

"You worry too much, Soun," Genma said. "Maybe my boy got in another fight, and your girls brought him - or his opponent - to Dr. Tofu."

"You two are pathetic, you know that?"

The fathers looked up.

"M-master?" Soun asked and blinked.

"Wh-what's with the new look?"

Happosai was nothing more than a floating, disembodied head. Two stubby arms were protruding from underneath his white face. His pupils were two red dots surrounded by blackness.

Boo Happosai looked down at his two students. "What's the matter, never seen a floating martial artist before?" He slowly floated around the room. "By the way, Ranma isn't here because he's after some ugly thief... I'm searching for him as well."

He glared at the two stunned fathers. "And if you don't want to disappoint me, I suggest you do the same."

"But Master... we don't even know what this guy looks like!" Genma protested.

"That's not the problem. He's fat, has a huge nose, wears yellow clothes and smells like a huge pile of rotten garlic. The last time I saw him, he carried a big sack." He glanced at them sternly. "You're still here? Go on, find that guy!"

"But Master!" Soun objected. "What about my girls? Do you know where they are as well?"

Happosai shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they went after Ranma and that thief... which means you have another reason to find him. So come on, hurry up! You'll search in town, I'll take a look at Furinkan High." He turned around and flew directly through the wall.

Soun and Genma stared at each other.

"How did he do that?" Genma wondered.

----

Happosai hummed to himself as he happily floated through the air. This ghostly mushroom really had been a godsend... he could freely float through the air, make himself invisible, and pass right through any wall.

"That thief can wait," he snickered. "First, let's see if I can take a peek at the lovely ladies of Furinkan... I just happen to know that the Volleyball Club wanted to train this afternoon..."

He imagined a locker room full of cute girls clad only in their lingerie. He drooled... it was a pervert's dream come true. They would never see him... and after he was finished ogling them, he would take away their lovely bras and panties, without them even noticing.

When he arrived at Furinkan High, he instantly realized that something was wrong. Police cars were standing in front of the entrance, and several strange paintings were aligned next to the front door, all of them leaning against the wall.

The perverted Boo decided to turn invisible for now. He floated closer and realized that the images on the paintings were moving... and then he recognized Akane's friends, Sayuri-chan and Yuka-chan.

"I can't take this anymore!" Yuka was sobbing. "I wanna go home!"

"I'm terribly sorry, miss!" one of the policemen said as he knelt down in front of her painting. "But as long as we don't find out exactly what brought you into this... predicament, we won't be able to get you free."

"We already told you!" Sayuri huffed. "A ghost with a crown turned us into paintings with his magic."

The policeman sweatdropped. "Yeah, right... listen, I can't just tell my men they should search for a ghost. And even if that ghost exists - what I doubt - where should we start searching for it?"

"I don't know," Sayuri admitted. "After Akane and her sisters beat him, they got carried away by that huge whirlwind that appeared out of nowhere..."

The police officer sighed. "Okay, miss! I'll promise to tell you right away when we found out how to follow them to Oz..." He stood up, shook his head and left.

Yuka glared at her friend. "Nice going, Sayuri!"

"What?" her pony-tailed friend defended herself. "It was the truth. Aren't we proof?"

"Whatever... I just hope Akane comes back quickly... WITH a way to help us!"

Happosai rubbed his chin with his stubby arm. Now that was really interesting... "There are indeed many curious people in Nerima today..." he murmured. "Maybe that ghost they talked about was the one who dropped that mushroom..."

"Um, excuse me..."

Happosai almost shouted out loud in surprise. He simmered down and turned around, to see a spherical ghost hovering behind him, similar in looks to his new appearance.

The Boo let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," it said in a girl's voice. "I found somebody else! I thought those girls took all of the other Boos with them. Did you see what they did with poor King Boo? I honestly wonder how we're supposed to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom now. I definitely can't remember the way back to that Warp Pipe. Hey, I never saw you before. Are you one of the king's personal servants, gramps? By the way, my name's Boonita. Who are you?"

Happosai blinked. Then a smirk appeared on his face. This ghost girl might just be able to help him find what he was looking for...


	10. A Boo's ultimate weakness

Peacefully, the old Goomba couple was sitting in the living room of the Goomba family house... meaning the only room in the house.

Grandma Gooma was busy knitting a scarf for her little granddaughter (she was a masterful knitter, even without hands), and Grandpa Goompa was reading the 'Toad-Town Evening News'.

Then they heard knocking at the door.

"Would you please get up, dear?" Gooma asked. "There's somebody at the door."

The wrinkled Goomba gentleman sighed and slid off his chair. "Who could that be, at this time of the day?" he mumbled to himself.

He opened the door just a crack. "Yes?"

He ducked when suddenly, his own son came soaring over his head, knocking Goompa's hat off his head.

"We... we've got guests, Goompa," the Goomba father, Goompapa said, before he slid down the wall he had hit during his flight.

Goompapa gasped in surprise and looked outside... where he could see a mean-looking turtle bearing a big paint brush, a mouse-girl wearing a crown and his own grandson, Goombario, who was standing between the strangers and their house. Goombaria was cowering in the bushes with fear, clutching her Princess Peach dolly to her.

The young, spiky-shelled Koopa lowered his brush and grinned menacingly. "Knock knock!" he said. "Mind if we come in?"

"Stay back!" Goombario said, trying to sound braver than he was. "I... I'm warning you!"

"Shuddering Shyguys!" Goompa shouted. "What in the name of all Goomnuts is going on here?"

"Goompa, they attacked without any warning," Goombario told his grandpa without turning around. "Goompapa wanted to welcome them, but then that guy with the brush just knocked him back."

"I'll have non of that!" Goompa said grimly. "I'm the only one who may knock around my son like that! Who are you bullies?"

"Hey, leave me out of this!" the mouse-girl defended herself. "I never did anything."

"Silence, servant!" Junior snapped. "Listen up, Goomba traitors, I am the son of Bowser Koopa, your rightful king! I command you to let me sleep in your house for the night, so I'll feel rested when I'll go to Toad-Town in the morning."

"B-but there's only one room in the entire house," protested Gooma, who had come up behind her husband.

The Koopa prince grinned. "Well, too bad for you! Looks like you'll have to sleep outside then."

"Goombaria, stay inside with your grandmother!" Goompa told his granddaughter. "Honey, stay inside until I tell you it's safe again. Goombario, are you up for this?"

"I sure am, Goompa!" the boy with the blue cap nodded. "Mario taught me much while I travelled with him. I'm gonna fight with you."

Junior laughed. "Am I supposed to be intimidated by the sheer, overwhelming number of opponents? And they're sooo scary: An old geezer and a little kid! Ha ha ha! Don't make me laugh!" Junior didn't even mention the fact that he was even younger than Goombario.

"We don't follow your father, boy!" Goompa said grimly. "And we won't allow you or any of your ill-bred siblings on our premises! Now leave and don't go near the Mushroom Kingdom again, or I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

While Daisy was impressed by the old man's guts, Junior just broke out in laughter. "Bwahahahahaaah! You're funny, old man! Okay, you asked for it... Servant! You blow that old geezer out of these woods while I take care of the small fry!"

"I hate you!" Daisy snapped, but she still had to carry out her orders.

"Sorry about this," she winced as she lit the fuse on one of her bombs. "But he's controlling me."

"I've heard that excuse multiple times," Goompa grumbled. "You're just too scared of Bowser to resist him, isn't that right?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Daisy asked while throwing her bomb. The old Goomba dodged it with an astounding agility for his age. "If I could I would have already taken the paint brush of that brat and knocked him into the next tree!"

"So why don't you do it?" Goompa demanded to know, while gathering his strength for his first attack.

Daisy sighed. "Mind control, I suppose. Now, do me a favor and dodge this one as well!" And she threw the next bomb.

"I see..." Goompa murmured as he jumped up into the air. "In that case, you will have to excuse me for doing this..."

And right in mid-air, he turned around his body so that his wrinkled head was directed at the female Mouser's head. And then... he hurled himself at her with all the power he could muster.

Daisy had only time to utter a short 'urk', before darkness overwhelmed her, and next thing she saw was the back side of her eyelids.

Meanwhile, Goombario was having his own troubles with Junior. The Koopa prince tried to get him with his brush, so he could turn the young Goomba in another one of his minions. But all that training under his Goompa and Mario had turned Goombario into an efficient fighter... and his head was as hard as a rock, as Junior painfully learned, when Goombario attacked him with one Headbonk after another. Only his Koopa shell protected him from being knocked out right away.

"I'm getting sick of this..." Junior grumbled. "Take this!" And with a swift motion, he created a few paintballs that came flying right at his tiny opponent.

Goombario instantly realized that he had no time to dodge the incoming projectiles. But he wasn't ready to give up yet.

'What was it that Mario always told me?' he asked himself. 'When in a tight space, always rely on your friends... and if your friends aren't there, use items... that's it!'

And just before the melon-sized balls of paint hit him, he quickly pulled something out of the Item Bag he was always carrying around these days.

It was a Koopa Shell. And when the brave Goomba held it up in front of him, it grew in size and created a shield that protected him from Junior's attack. The paint splattered all over the shell without harming Goombario.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Goombario snickered from underneath his cover. "I'm using a Koopa shell to beat a Koopa brat."

"Shut up, you!" Junior growled. "I'm not finished with you yet!" And he drew back his magical weapon.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Goombario smirked. "But I'm gonna take you down now!" And before Junior could do anything, he jumped up into the air, hit the prince's head with a solid Headbonk, bounced up into the air... and attacked with another Headbonk. And then another! And another!

"How do you like my Multi-Headbonk, jerk?" Goombario shouted while performing his multi-hit move. "Having a headache yet?"

"Ow, ow, ow!" Junior wailed. "No fair, that... ow! You pesky little... ow! Just you wait! I'll be back, and then... ow! I'm gonna tell my Papa, and then... ow! Ow! Retreat! Servants, escape for now!"

"The first good idea of you," Valerie frowned.

Goombario bounced his opponent backwards a couple of feet with his final blow, and watched how the bratty Koopa rolled against the trunk of a tree.

Junior stood up, wiped some leaves from his mouth, angrily waved around his brush and vanished in the forest, followed by his two maids.

Goombario let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness they're gone..."

"Hey, Goombario!" his grandfather suddenly shouted.

"Coming, Goompa!" Goombario quickly ran over to where Goompa was standing next to his unconscious opponent. "What's up?"

Goompa pulled back his right feet from the mouse-girl's arm... and it was covered with a grey, paint-like substance.

"Have you seen anything like this before, boy?"

Goombario shook his head. "No, can't say I have. But... I think I know somebody who might..."

The door of the house opened. "Goompa? Goombario? Is it safe to come out?"

Goombario nodded. "Yeah, the bad guys are gone now, sis! No need to worry anymore!"

Goombaria sighed. "What a relief... Goomama and Gooma are taking care of Goompapa, he isn't hurt badly. He just said they took him by surprise."

"That doesn't surprise me," Goompa frowned. "Your father has been slacking off with his training ever since he became a carpenter. It's a real shame that a Goomba doesn't know to defend himself against all those bullies that always want to stomp on our heads..."

"Where did the mean guys go, Goompa?" Goombaria asked.

"Well, they said they were headed for Toad-Town... somebody should go and warn the princess."

"I'll do it!" Goombario instantly volunteered. "I don't know if I can catch up with them in time... but I have to try."

Goompa nodded. "That's what I wanted to hear, boy! Hurry and go! I think I can take care of our guest by myself, should she wake up. And something tells me that she isn't our enemy at all..."

----

"I don't believe this!" Nabiki's eyes went wide as she looked at the page in front of her. "This books says that in your world, money can be found within floating blocks that can appear anywhere?"

"Yes, of course!" Peach said in a surprised voice. "It's a natural phenomenon in our world. Everyone who can jump high enough can always take the coins out of the blocks. That's the reason why there are so few rich Goombas... they can't jump too high. Actually, only few residents of the Mushroom Kingdom manage to jump as high as Mario or even Luigi can jump. That's why commercial trade still exists in our world. Everyone who isn't able to take the coins from the bocks can still make money this way."

"But to think that in your world, money practically grows on trees..." Nabiki murmured. "Damn, if only I could jump as high as Ranma..."

"Well, you could always use some sort of Power-Up to reach the blocks," Peach suggested. "But you still must be careful, as there are many ruffians on the roads nowadays, and if they manage to assault you, you might just lose your Power-Up."

"This world is so different from our own, and yet so similar," Kasumi gushed as she read in another book. A big pile of books she already read was lying behind her. "It's so exciting!"

"Um..." Nabiki fidgeted around nervously. "How could you get such a... Power-Up?" she asked.

"Well, there should still be a few Power-Ups left in the ?-Block you brought with you," Toad explained. "By the way, thank you for bringing it back to us." He searched through the remaining items within the block. "Unfortunately, there is no jumping Power-Up left..."

"And where can I find one?" Nabiki asked, full of hope.

"Well, the quickest way to get one would be to take it from the place they normally appear in..."

"Namely?" Nabiki hissed through clenched teeth.

Peach smiled. "Within another floating block, of course!"

Nabiki groaned and slumped down on the ground. It just had been too good to be true...

"Say, I found something very interesting," Kasumi suddenly said. "This old alchemy book says that there is a potion that can amplify your already existing, magical powers..."

"What about it, sis?" Nabiki asked. "Neither of us does have any magical abilities to begin with."

"But listen to this, Nabiki!" Kasumi said. "According to the book, one of the most important ingredients is a magical artifact that has to be stripped off its powers... and the longer it had been in the possession of somebody, the more potent would be the potion."

"That's understandable," Toadsworth nodded. "I heard that personal possessions with magical properties are often used for the most powerful spells, rituals and magical mixtures. I'm afraid I'm not much of an alchemist or sorcerer myself, so I can't say for sure just how it all works..."

"But it fits, doesn't it?" Peach asked. "Both Kodachi and Ryoga are in the possession of magical artifacts, which have been in their care ever since they have been babies. Maybe Kamek doesn't just want to take revenge on Kimmy and Kenny... maybe he also wants to use the artifacts for such a potion. And that's why he sent both King Boo and Wario after the rose."

"That might just be true," Nabiki pondered. "I'm not a magic expert myself, but I know that if a human - or a similar being - craves power, he'd do anything to get it."

"Oh my..." Kasumi said. "If that is true, Kodachi-san and Ryoga-kun will be in danger, won't they?"

"Now don't you worry," Peach smiled. "Even if Kamek or anyone else manages to track them down, Mario's still with them. I'm sure he will be able to protect them."

"I have the feeling they are able to take care of themselves pretty good..." Nabiki murmured.

Suddenly, an explosion from outside made them all jump in surprise.

"Wh-what?" Toad shouted while panically hopping on the spot. "Are we under attack?"

"You can relax, boy!" Toadsworth sighed as he took a look outside. "It seems like one of the Bullet Bills Kimmy is using to train Ranma and Akane was a bit... misfired. Or rather, has been hit out of its flying path and... hit the outer wall."

"Sooorry!" Ranma yelled from outside. "My mistake!"

"A good thing we strengthened the southern wall with indestructible blocks last week..." Peach sighed.

----

In the meantime, Luigi had returned from a small errand he had to run - he had brought King Boo back to Professor E. Gadd, so the scientist could take care of the troublesome ghost. The professor promised to trap him into a picture again.

Now, Luigi was walking through the entrance hall of Peach's castle, hoping to find some enjoyable snack in the kitchen. But unnoticed to him, two pairs of eyes were watching him.

"Is he the one?" one of the Boos asked. "The boy who gave you and the others so much trouble?"

The younger, female Boo nodded. "Yes, that's Luigi. King Boo doesn't like either of the brothers... but ever since Luigi trapped him with that disgusting vacuum cleaner of his once, he despises him the most."

"So if I capture that Luigi fella for him, that King Boo would help me find what I am looking for, right?" Happosai asked.

"Gramps, King Boo would do almost ANYTHING for the man who got rid of Luigi for him."

Happosai snickered. "Excellent! Well, I told you my plan. You know what do to?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm not too sure that this will really help to..."

"Just do what I told you," the Boo-y-fied pervert said impatiently and shoved the female Boo out of their hiding place. "Hurry up, or he won't see you!"

Boonita gulped nervously. She was a bit afraid. She could still remember the last time she encountered Luigi... but fortunately, he didn't seem to have the Poltergust with him this time. So maybe, she had a chance...

She carefully floated to the corner and waited for Luigi to come close by. She peeked around the corner... and looked directly into the green-clad plumber's face.

Her eyes went wide.

Unable to do anything, Boonita stayed out of sight and waited, until Luigi vanished through the kitchen door. He didn't see her. When the door closed behind him, she let out a deep sigh.

"What's the matter?" Happosai wanted to know as he came floating over to her. "Why didn't you scare him out of his wits?"

"I... I looked into his face..." Boonita murmured.

"So what?"

"Didn't you know?" she asked, with a big blush on her face. "M-most of us younger Boos have that problem... especially us girls..."

"What problem?" Happosai asked. "Spit it out, girl!"

Boonita uncomfortably shuffled around and looked down to the floor. "You know... this is embarrass, but... every time I look into Luigi's face... or Mario's... it just hits me. And I can't move! Not an inch! As long as their back is turned towards us, it's okay. But as soon as we see their faces..."

"But... WHY?" Happosai wondered.

"Because... because they are so HANDSOME!!" Boonita gushed. "Those impressive mustaches... their noble posture... and those cute, knobby noses... they are just GORGEOUS! It just makes my mind stop!"

Happosai face-faulted.

----

The huge hall was dark and empty. Stone pillars were aligning stairs that lead up to the huge altar, which wasn't really nothing more than a heavy, compact stone block with inscriptions on it. On the huge block, another, slightly smaller block was resting. It was still as huge as an elephant, though. Since it was lying in the darkest corner of the hall, it was shrouded in shadows.

The double doors to the room slowly opened, accompanied by a loud creak.

Four figures entered the hall and looked around.

"It's pretty dark in here."

"Wait-a minute, I'll use that Fire Flower we found earlier..."

A sphere of flames that was hovering above a white-gloved hand suddenly illuminated the room. Its light shone on the hieroglyphs on the wall and the altar.

Fire Mario, in his shining, white overall, looked around. "Looks-a like this is the central room of the ruins."

"That means what we are searching for must be in here," Ryoga said. The young Koopa with the black-spotted shell wiped the shards of a beetle shell off his arm. The Buzzy Beetles they had encountered earlier hadn't really been dangerous opponents, and their shells made good throwing weapons.

"Let's not waste any more time, then," Kodachi said snottily as she strode past them and headed straight for the huge altar.

Ryoga looked at Mario and Goombella, shrugged and walked after his sister.

Mario and Goombella followed them, but as they came past some pillars the young Goomba archeologist looked more closely at the hieroglyphs they were covered with.

"Just take a look at this, guys," she whispered. "These glyphs are older than any building in Toad-Town... I'm sure they tell the history of the town. If only Professor Frankly were here... he could help me translate them all."

"Goombella, you coming?" Mario asked.

"Um, I..." Goombella hesitated. She didn't want to fall behind, but those glyphs were sooo fascinating. "Can't I look at them a bit longer?"

"Well, you certainly can't look at them in the darkness," Mario replied. "You'll need my fire to see them."

"It's okay," Ryoga called back to them. "I doubt this will take long. You stay close to her, we'll go and see what this huge altar is about."

"Well, okeydokey... but-a be careful, okay?"

Ryoga smirked. "Hey, no big deal! It's not like I can get lost in such a small... um..." He looked around. While he had turned his head to talk to Mario, he had wandered into a darker corner of the room. "Kodachi? Where are you?"

"Oh, for the love of... it's THIS way, stupid boy!" the black-shelled Paratroopa huffed. She fluttered over to her brother and dragged him over to the altar, not even noticing how casually she was using her wings by now. "Seriously, I can't leave you by yourself for a moment..."

Ryoga grinned. "Sorry, sometimes my legs have a mind of their own. But thanks for looking out for me, sis!"

"Don't call me that, Hibiki!" Kodachi snapped. "As soon as I get my human form, back, I'll go back home, and I that's when I don't want to hear anything about this cursed kingdom anymore. So hurry up if you want to come along!"

Standing in front of the altar, they looked upwards. Ryoga tried to read the hieroglyphs on it, but it was too dark, and Mario's fireball wasn't close enough.

He shrugged and held up his hands against the cold stone block. Kodachi did the same. Nothing happened.

"So, now what?" Ryoga asked with irritation. "Are we supposed to do anything or what?"

"Irritating piece of rock!" Kodachi hissed. She flew up to the big rock that was lying on top of the altar. "Do something!" She gave the block a firm kick.

Meanwhile, Goombella was staring at the picture of a strange creature. "What is this...?" she murmured. "I can barely translate it... but here it says that any, who desires the power of the Whonkia people will have to pass a trial... and there's also something about a guardian..."

She then gasped. "KODACHI! RYOGA! Don't touch the block lying on the altar!"

"What are you yapping about?" Kodachi asked and turned around in mid-air. "There's nothing dangerous in here. No need to worry, I only gave it a slight..."

A deep rumbling behind her made her feel faint.

"Kick..." she weakly finished her sentence. She gulped and slowly turned back around...

And stared right into two big, red eyes, both of them as big as her own head.

Just as the eyes had opened, two huge torches on the left and right of the altar were set ablaze, illuminating the whole chamber.

The block lying on the altar wasn't a mere decoration or a sacred idol, as they had believed... it was a big stone creature formed like a block, but with a scary face on its surface, and a gaping maw in its middle, which was filled with dozens of razor-sharp teeth. The stone beast gave off a menacing growl and snapped its teeth at the flying turtle in front of its face. Kodachi barely managed to dodge the bite.

"What is that thing?" Mario gasped as he came running. He threw the fireball he was still holding at the creature, but it harmlessly bounced off its stone surface. He had already predicted as much, as all the stone enemies he had dealt with in his past were normally immune against any fire attack.

"I'm looking, I'm looking!" Goombella said in a panic as she took out her Tattle Log. She quickly skimmed through the pages until she found a picture of the beast. "There it is!" she shouted. "The Tchomp! A deadly relative of both the Thwomp and the Chomp! Its powerful maws can crunch a brick wall within seconds. It is believed that the ancient Whonk people used them as watchdogs... but it also says here that they are supposed to be extinct!"

"Well, than this is the last one," Ryoga grumbled. "But if we have to beat him to find the magical powers, I'll gladly help him becoming extinct."

The Tchomp roared and jumped up and down a few times, sinking the altar down into the ground. It then bared its teeth and lunged at Mario, the one who attacked it first. Ryoga quickly retreated into his shell, and it got hurled across the room.

Mario realized he had no time to evade, and the colossus was just too big to jump over it. He braced himself for impact, but was surprised when suddenly, the Tchomp stopped in mid-air and fell down to the ground. A strong chain was attached to the beast's body, tying it to the wall.

"Of course!" Goombella realized. "Like a regular Chain Chomp, it is bound by a chain. "All we have to do is staying outside of its reach, and we're safe."

"But then we won't be able to beat it either," Ryoga realized.

"Abominable creature!" Kodachi yelled. "I won't let you stop me from regaining my humanity! Have at theee!"

Ryoga facepalmed. "She definitely has that from her other brother... stupid Kunos... Kodachi, stop! You can't hurt it that way!"

The stubborn Paratroopa did not listen. Kodachi zipped around the Tchomp like a living cannonball and then, she took out her ribbon, which she had carried around underneath her shell.

"Take THIS, you vile creature!" she shouted and whipped the ribbon at its face.

The Tchomp simply bit it in half with its huge teeth.

"Trying to defeat a rock with a ribbon..." Goombella murmured. "How daft can you be...?"

Kodachi gulped when she looked at the tiny remains that were dangling from her hand. "Um, that... did not quite go according to plan..."

"Kodachi, WATCH OUT!" Ryoga yelled. The Tchomp let out a mighty roar and lunged at Kodachi. And this time, she was within range of its chain.

Just before the young Paratroopa could become the creature's first snack in eons, Ryoga jumped off the ground and tackled his sister, shoving her out of the way. Together, they rolled over the ground, but their shells protected them from any injuries.

By now the Tchomp was very angry. He barked at the intruders and then... he jumped up into the air, dragging his chain along with him.

Ryoga pulled Kodachi to her feet. She almost brushed him off, but then she looked into his eyes, which were filled with concern.

"Are you... are you all right?" he muttered. He wondered himself why he was so worried about her safety.

"I... I am unharmed. Th... thank you!" She was angry at herself to blush at this moment. She was hoping her brother wouldn't notice it.

Her brother? She blinked. Why was she thinking of Ryoga as her brother now, all of a sudden?

Meanwhile, Mario was nervously searching the ceiling. Goombella squeaked: "Where did it go?"

"It may act like a Chomp," Mario murmured. "But also like a Thwomp... and I'm pretty sure that it will come down on us any minute, trying to squash us flat. Being squashed by a Thwomp is-a nasty enough, but that thing is easily twice the size of a regular Thwomp..."

"Whaaah!" Goombella cried. "I don't wanna become a Goomba pancake!"

"You won't!" Ryoga said confidently. "We'll beat this monster... together!" He looked into his sister's eyes, and after a moment, she nodded.

A loud roar coming from the ceiling made them snap to attention.

"Get-a ready!" Mario shouted. "Here it comes!"


	11. Happosai Double Dash!

"All right..." Happosai sighed. "Now that you told me of that little problem, maybe there's something else we can do to trap that Luigi... you stay here and keep a close eye on him. You don't have to look into his face for that. I, on the other hand, will try to find his room. I don't suppose you know where he sleeps, do you?"

"What? Of course not!" Boonita shook her head. "No Boo has ever been in Princess Peach's castle before... what gives you the idea I should know?"

"All right, all right, just don't lose him. I'll come back as soon as I can."

"What are you gonna do once you find his bedroom?" Boonita asked curiously.

"Well, I'll think of something. Maybe I can surprise him when he enters. I have it under control, girl, you can trust me on that. After all, I have the experiences of a very long life."

Boonita looked at him strangely. "Um... life? You're a Boo! We're ghosts, remember?"

"It's a manner of speaking," the transformed martial arts master hastily said. "Now make sure that green guy doesn't go anywhere... I'll be back soon!"

And he floated upstairs, right through the ceiling.

Boonita crossed her arms. "Well," she muttered. "I guess watching him like this isn't that bad... as long as he doesn't have that vacuum cleaner with him!" She shuddered.

----

Happosai came out of the ground inside a long corridor. He looked into both directions the corridor was going and saw a huge number of rooms that looked all identical. Experimentally, he stuck his translucent head through one of the pink doors.

"Looks like a guest room..." he murmured. "A wardrobe, a bed... but it doesn't look like anyone has been living in here for some time. Oh well, let's check out the other rooms."

He looked down the long corridor and sighed when he saw the huge number of identical doors. "That might take me some time..."

The next room he looked into looked nearly like the first one... only was this one definitely inhabited. A table cloth and a vase with fresh flowers was standing on a table, a few clothes hangers with red skirts were hanging from the wardrobe, and what looked like an open magazine was lying on the bed's pillow.

"Well, this room certainly has a feminine touch..." Happosai mumbled as he floated into the room. "I don't think this Luigi guy sleeps in here..."

Then something clicked within his head.

"Feminine...?" he murmured. "Feminine touch? A room... which is most probably occupied by a member of the female occupation? That means..."

A broad grin appeared on his pale face as he flitted over to the wardrobe and the chest of drawers, and he shouted: "GIRL'S UNDERWEAR!!"

He opened a drawer... and stared at the big collection of panties and bloomers. His eyes turned into shiny sparkles.

"Beauuuuutiful..." he whispered. He barely even noticed how his tongue was hanging out of his mouth. He took a pair of panties and took a good sniff. "Hmmmm, this refreshing fragrance..."

Then he blinked. "That's strange..." he said. "According to my acute underwear senses, these panties aren't worn by a mature woman... but by a young girl. And I mean YOUNG girl!"

He quickly opened the lower drawer and was faced with an equally impressive collection of bras.

Training bras.

Pink with white spots on them.

Happosai groaned. "Oh well..." he sighed. "I guess it's better than noth..."

"HEY!" a loud voice behind him shouted. "What are you doing in my room?"

Startled, Happosai turned around... and saw a little girl with a huge mushroom head standing in the now open door. She had a pair of pink pigtails, and her mushroom hat was equally pink, with white spots, just like the training bras in the drawer.

Toadette fumed. "I don't believe it!" she shouted. "Can't a girl run an errand for the princess without finding perverted Boos in her bedroom upon her return? You have 5 seconds to get out of here, before I call the Mario Brothers!"

"Ooooh, the Mario Brothers!" Happosai chuckled. "I'm so scared now. You should really talk to your elders in a more respectable way, little girl!"

"I have no respect for Boos!" Toadette yelled. "Especially not for wrinkled ones that sneak into my room to steal my panties! Now give them back!"

Happosai grinned. "You'll have to catch me first, little one!" And with a mad snicker, he grabbed a few more panties and bloomers from the drawer, zoomed past her and fled down the corridor, panties still in his stubby arms.

"What a haul, what a HAUL!"

"COME BACK HERE!" Toadette angrily yelled while running past the perverted ghost.

"Toadette?" a surprised voice coming from the other direction shouted. "What's going on?"

Toadette turned around. Toad jumped back in fright when he saw how mad his girlfriend was. She was literally steaming. "A thief broke into my room!" she shouted. "And not just any thief... it was a PERVERT! Toad, you must help me catch him!"

"Um... okay..."

----

Happosai zipped along the corridor, bumped against a few Toads that had come out of their rooms in surprise after hearing the commotion.

"Careful there, boys!" Happosai cackled. "Coming through!" He looked back and saw that Toadette didn't catch up with him. He snickered. "She probably gave up already."

Then he heard a strange noise. It somehow sounded like... a lawnmower. But it was coming from behind him. He frowned. A lawnmower inside a building? And it sounded as if it was coming closer, too.

He looked back over his non-existent shoulder... and sweat-dropped when he realized what was coming after him.

"Faster, Toad!" Toadette yelled as she jumped up and down in the backseat of the pink-painted kart that was speeding down the corridor, after the escaping ghost. "Closer, go closer!"

"I'm t-t-trying..." Toad muttered as he swerved to avoid a few of his fellow mushroom retainers. Spinning the steering wheel wildly around, the little guy nearly got a heart attack. Then he gestured ahead. "There! That's him, right?"

"Yeah, that's the crook!" Toadette yelled. "Keep on course, I have a surprise for him... TAKE THIS!"

Happosai barely ducked in time to avoid the green, wildly spinning, but empty Koopa Shell the pink mushroom girl had thrown at him.

"Those two are crazy..." he muttered. "Driving such a vehicle inside a building... driving such a vehicle at SUCH A YOUNG AGE... just wait until I tell your parents!" he shouted back. And then he tipped over a potted plant that was standing nearby.

"What are you doing?" Toadette screamed as Toad swerved wildly to avoid the potted plant. "Aw, what the heck, let me take over... here make sure this thing gets faster!" And she handed her boyfriend a certain item while they switched places in the middle of the drive.

"O-okay," Toad nodded as Toadette continued to drive after the fleeing Boo. Toad gulped... and then slammed the mushroom he was holding into the exhaust pipe of the kart's engine.

The sudden turbo boost made the Toadette Kart shoot forward, and Toad nearly lost his balance.

Happosai noticed how his pursuers were coming after him. "Annoying little brats..." he mumbled. Then he realized something and chuckled.

"How stupid of me..." he murmured. "I'm a ghost now." And he dove right through the floor.

"He got away!" Toad shouted.

"I can see that!" Toadette grumbled. "Don't worry, we'll catch up with him. Hang on tight!"

"Wh-what are you doooooo...?" Toad yelled when all of a sudden, his pink, female counterpart yanked around the kart and drove down the stairway that was suddenly in front of them. Toad's teeth clattered during the bumpy ride, and then they shot out into the castle's big main lobby.

"I can see him!" Toadette shouted and gestured ahead. "Now we got him!"

"He's heading for the kitchen!" Toad commented.

"Them again?" Happosai grumbled. "Damn, this isn't fun anymore... time to get out of here. Oh, where's that blasted girl?"

He zipped straight through the kitchen's door and shouted as loud as he could: "BOONITA! Where are you? We gotta split!"

"YAAAAAAAHHH!" screamed Luigi, who was standing with his back to him. He just wanted to cut off a piece of the huge, delicious cherry cake Peach had baked a few days ago.

"YAAAAAAAHHH!" Boonita screamed as well as she dropped out of the chandelier, where she was hidden. "Wh-what's the matter with you, gramps? You can give a Boo a heart attack... if we had one!"

"B-b-boos!" Luigi stuttered. "Again? Cannelonis and tortellinis, where's my Poltergust?"

Just then, the kitchen door opened forcefully, as a pink kart, manned by two mushroom kids, shot through the air with roaring engines. For Luigi, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

"LOOOOK OOOUUUUUUTT!" Toad and Toadette screamed while they were flying through the entire room, past a shocked Boonita, directly through the body of the still ghostly Happosai, knocking Luigi's cap off his head... and landing in the middle of the big cherry cake!

SPLOOOOOOOSH!!!

The engine sputtered a few times, then he died down. Everything was silent.

"What's going on here?" the agitated voice of Princess Peach shouted as she came around the corner and appeared in the door. She gasped when she saw the interior of the kitchen.

Kasumi, Nabiki and Toadsworth appeared behind her. "Oh... oh my..." Kasumi murmured.

There wasn't a single spot on the wall that wasn't plastered with cake remains. The Toadette Kart was sticking in the middle of the huge mess, with two mushroom heads sticking out. A tiny Boo girl was flailing around wildly while trying to get out of the sticky mess. A wrinkled, elderly Boo was crying over some panties that were now coated with cherry jelly. Luigi was crouching on the floor, shaking wildly, while his hair looked like it had a confrontation with a real lawnmower. His trademark green cap was nowhere to be seen.

"What... what in the world...?" Peach muttered again and again. She shook her head. "What happened here? Oh, just what happened in here?"

"Um... oops!" Toadette grinned a bit bashfully. "H-hello there, princess... I guess I got a bit, ahem... carried away..."

----

Kamek opened his eyes and blinked. "Blazin' Bullet Bills, for how long have I been asleep?" he murmured. He fumbled around his night stand until he found his glasses and put them upon his beak. "Damn, I completely overslept the last ten episodes..."

He then glared at the readers. "Hey, I can break the fourth wall whenever I like to, you hear me? Now, time to get back to work!"

He rubbed his scaly hands with glee as he approached his cauldron. "I still need my grandson's bandana to complete this stew..." he said as he shivered with anticipation. "Then it will turn me into the most powerful Magikoopa ever seen. Still, I could already take a sip to increase my powers a bit... it can't hurt..."

He reached out for the ladle, but hesitated. Pulling his hand back, he shook his head. "No, I must resist the temptation... I don't want to cause any unnecessary attention, not as long as the potion is not complete. Once I'm at full power, nobody will be able to stop me... but until that moment, I need to restrain myself."

He pulled out his wand and waved it around. A few colorful sparks flew from its tip and created a huge, empty block that was see-through. It spun around in the air a few times, then it fell down on top of the cauldron, encasing it from all sides. Another wave of his wand, and the old Magikoopa nodded with satisfaction. "There, that should keep anyone from touching it."

He sighed. "I just wonder how I can get the bandana, now that King Boo and Wario have been captured... I can't sneak off all the time, Bowser will suspect something if I do that. He's already peeved enough that I haven't started that camouflage dust he wants... I probably should get to work..."

Just then, the door to his study opened op. Kamek was already starting to groan, but then a tiny head with a propeller and a pair of goggles looked inside. "Hello? Master Kamek? Is it safe to come in?"

Kamek sighed. It was just Igor, his bumbling little Toadie minion. Like all Toadies, he was wearing a compact suit that had a propeller on its cap, only was he wearing a pale yellow one, instead of a dark red one. "Come in, Igor!" Kamek grumbled. "Did you see anyone on your way down here?"

The Toadie shook his head as he came flying down the stairs. "No one, Master! And you know I always polish my spectacles."

"Very well! Did you get what I sent you for?"

Igor nodded. "Yes, Master! Star Dust, fresh from Shooting Star Summit!"

Kamek patted him on his head and twirled around the propeller with his finger. "That's a good little minion! I can use this for the camouflage dust Bowser wants... just to keep the old reptile off my skin. Listen up, Igor, I have another task for you."

Igor sighed. He had looked forward to a nice soak in the bathtub in the minion's quarters, and now his master was sending him out on another mission. But as Kamek said, he was a good little minion and would never displease his master. "I'm ready, Master!"

"Good! Now, I need you to take this letter to an old friend of mine. I'm gonna ask a little favor of him. I wrote his address on the envelope, so be careful not to lose it, okay? After he read it, ask him if he's willing to do this little favor for me. Do you understand?"

Igor nodded and took the envelope. "Yes, Master! I will do as you wish." He looked at the address and paled. "M-master... this place is..."

"Not exactly around the corner, I know!" Kamek nodded. "Still, I know you can do a good job, so hurry up and don't dawdle."

"I will comply, Master!" Igor saluted and put the letter in his pocket. Then twirling his little propeller, he zoomed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Well, hopefully my old pal is willing to help me out..." Kamek murmured. "I really should start working on that dust now, before the old tyrant gets angry..."

With a flick of his wand, another cauldron appeared in front of him. Just as he was going to take the ingredients from his poison cabinet, the door slammed open again, and an irate Koopa girl came stomping down the stairs.

"KAMEK!" Wendy yelled. "Where's that beauty cream you promised me?"

The old magician paled. No, this really wasn't his day...

----

Elsewhere, a pink-spotted mushroom with a short ponytail sighed. "This really isn't my day..." she murmured.

The orange flower next to her glared. "Not your day? And what about me? If you hadn't insisted on 'defending our honor', we'd be safely back in Diamond City by now. And now look what that Koopa Kid did to us."

Kat wriggled around comfortably. "How was I supposed to know... that he was able to do such things. Wario never told me that Bowser Junior knew those tricks... and he met him often enough. On the racing track... during the tennis match... on the soccer field..."

"A big comfort that is!" Ana huffed. Then she groaned. "How will we ever get out of this predicament, sis? If we only could send a message to Mona and the others..."

"Now calm down," her twin tried to console her. "I'm pretty sure someone will find us sooner or later. And maybe that person can inform our friends. And you'll see, Dr. Crygor is bound to have a solution for this. And if not him, than his granddaughter will find a way. You know, Penny?"

"Yeah..." Ana said tearfully. "But I sure hope that this 'someone' will come soon..."

Kat was actually right, there was someone on his way to where they the two ninja girls were now rooted to the spot. But unfortunately, that certain someone would only increase their problems.

Kat and Ana blinked when suddenly, the ground beneath them started to shake, in short intervals. Behind them, they could hear heavy breathing.

They turned around... and gasped when they saw a massive mountain of flesh in front of them. It was a belly as huge as a Sledge Bro... and the owner of this tummy was equally massive. When they looked up, they could see a white napkin and a round, white mask with emotionless eyes.

The humongous Shyguy leaned forward as best as he could. "Hmmmm?" he wondered. "What's this? A flower and a mushroom? How very unusual... they normally don't grow this close to each other."

"Ummm... good day, Mr. Shyguy, sir!" Ana said politely, but also a bit nervously. "Could you please... help us?"

"And they're talking, too!" the massive Shyguys said while scratching his head. "Very, very unusual..." He then smiled. "But that's okay... I can always use a mushroom for lunch. My name wouldn't be Gourmet Guy if I couldn't find a use for that flower, too. Heck, maybe I can use it in combination with the mushroom for a recipe from that cook book Miss Tayce T. gave to me..." And he reached down to pick both of the transformed girls.

"NO!" Kat screamed. "I don't wanna end up in a stew! Stop it!"

"HELP!" Ana cried. "ANYBODY, HEEEEEELLLLLPP!"

Gourmet Guy didn't listen to their pleas and almost touched them... when out of nowhere, a bonbori and a giant spatula came flying into his face and smacked him backwards.

"OW!" he shouted and rubbed his face. "That hurt!"

Shampoo and Ukyo pulled their respective weapons back. "You no hurt talking mushroom and talking flower if they don't want to be part of stew," she angrily said.

"Yeah, you better keep your hands off them, sugar!" Ukyo nodded as she hefted her spatula. "Back off!"

"You're mean..." Gourmet Guy sniffed. "All I wanted was to have a nice meal... does nobody respect that? WHAAAAAAAHH!" And crying, he ran away as fast as a fat tub of lard as himself could.

Ukyo knelt down next to the two plant-girls. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes..." Ana said in a shaky voice. "That was close... thank you, Miss..."

"The name's Ukyo!" the okonomiyaki chef grinned. "Ukyo Kuonji. And this is Shampoo!"

"Nihao!" the amazon said with a smile and waved.

"Nice to meet you," Ana nodded. "I am Ana, and this is my twin sister Kat. We are ninjas from the Diamond Dojo in Diamond City."

"You are ninjas?" Ukyo wondered. "You look like normals plants to me..."

"Only because we've been transformed by that Koopa brat..." Kat grumbled. And we've been stuck here ever since."

"We certainly don't want to impose, but could you please take us to the next town?" Ana asked. "We need to find someone who can take this spell from us. I'm afraid Diamond City is a bit too far away from here..."

"Sure, no problem, right, Shampoo?" Ukyo asked.

Shampoo nodded. "Problem is, spatula girl and Shampoo don't really know where they are. They were searching for Airen, found strange pipe, went through weird tunnel full of colorful pipes and then came out in middle of forest."

"You must have used the Warp Zone," Kat realized. "There are many entrances and exits spread all over the Mushroom World. But don't worry, just go east, and you'll reach Toad-Town, just a short distance from here. We only need too reach Goomba Village, follow the Goomba Road, and there we are. And I'm sure someone in town might know where your friend Airen is. Quite an unusual name, though..."

Ukyo chuckled. "Actually, he's called Ranma and he's my fiance."

"Is not!" Shampoo protested with a frown. "Ranma is Shampoo's Airen!"

"In your dreams, amazon!" Ukyo growled.

"Um, excuse me..." Ana interrupted the discussion. "But... we're still kinda stuck here..."

"Oh, right! Sorry 'bout that," Ukyo said sheepishly.

"Shampoo too too sorry," Shampoo apologized as well, and together, they reached down to pick up the pink mushroom and orange flower.

Ukyo thought that the surface of the cute, pink-spotted mushroom was kinda ticklish, and for Shampoo, the orange flower was warm to the touch. But when they actually picked the two plant-girls from the ground, their clothes suddenly changed color with a bright flash, and Kat and Ana vanished.

"What? What?" Ukyo shouted in surprise as she stared at her bright, yellow cooking clothes. "What happened to me?"

"Aiyah!" Shampoo exclaimed. "Why Shampoo clothes all white? And where did little flower-girl go?"

"Oh, I got it," Ana's voice suddenly shouted. "My sis and I actually got turned into power-up items. And when you picked us up, our powers got activated."

"Huh? But where are you?" Ukyo asked in confusion. "We hear you, so you can't have vanished just like that."

"Spatula girl look, did she always have little face on ribbon?"

"Huh?" Ukyo tried peering at her ribbon, but of course she could not look at it without taking it off. Then she looked at the white-clothed amazon. "Shampoo, you also have a ribbon around your head. And there's Ana's face on it..."

"That must be it," Kat's face soke up from Ukyo's ribbon. "When you used our powers, we became part of your costume. And since Shampoo had no hat or ribbon, Ana turned into a bandana."

"As long as someone finds a cure for this, I don't mind..." Ana mumbled.

"But what kind of power-ups did you turn into?" Ukyo asked and looked down at her yellow costume. "What can we do now?" She took one of her little spatulas and was surprised when suddenly, a spark of electricity danced across its surface. "Whoa! What happened?"

"It seems like I didn't turn into a Super Mushroom, but instead into a Volt Shroom," Kat said. "They normally charge up your body with electricity, but you seem to be able to charge your weapons with it."

"And I think I have become a Fire Flower," Ana told Shampoo, who suddenly was holding a flaming bonbori in her hand. "You can use it to shoot fireballs at your enemies."

"Not any attack Shampoo would have used before, but this is fun!" the amazon giggled as she used her weapon to hurl a fireball at a brick block that was floating nearby. It broke into pieces and revealed a big, golden coin. "Wow, what happened now?"

"Your fireballs seems to be more powerful than those that are usually created by using a Fire Flower," Ana said. "They can even destroy those brick blocks. Go on, take that coin. Everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom can pick up any coin he or she finds."

"So that's where we are right now?" Ukyo asked. "The Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Yup, close to Toad-Town, as we said," Kat explained. "I'd be happy if we find someone there who can help us, but until we arrive there, I'd be glad to help you out with my new mushroom powers."

"Me too," Ana nodded, which was weird, since she didn't really have a head, just a painted face on Shampoo's new bandana.

"Okay, which direction did you say again should we go, sugars?" Ukyo asked.

----

"Looks like normal paint to me," murmured Goomama as she looked at the grey stuff on Goompa's foot. "But if the grey color is just painted on her body, how can she have those ears and the tail? And how can she produce bombs just like a Mouser?"

"This paint must be magical," Goombario said. "Mario already told me about his adventures on Isle Delfino, and about the magic brush that Koopa brat used to pollute the entire island."

"That's right," Daisy nodded. "Bowser's youngest son is the most terrible kid I can imagine, and I don't just say that because he turned me into a rat."

"But wait a minute," Goombaria said. "If it's just paint... why can't we just wash it off her body?"

"Goombaria, dear..." her mother sighed. "I doubt magic can be just washed off your body like that..."

"But... but why not?" Goombario asked. "Mario told me that he used a water pump to battle all those paint creatures Junior had summoned up on Isle Delfino. Why shouldn't water help this time?"

"It's worth a try," his grandfather nodded. "Son, would you please prepare the garden hose..."

"I'm on it, Goompa!" Goompapa nodded and hurried outside.

"Dear, are you okay with this?" Gooma asked the transformed princess.

"Of course I am," Daisy replied. "If it means I can turn back to normal, I'm ready to give anything a try."

She followed Goompa outside. the rest of the Goomba family came along with her. Goompapa had already taken the water hose. "Princess, would you please stand over there?" he asked.

Daisy nodded. "Spray me!" she shouted and spread her arms.

"Wait a minute, son!" Goompa shouted. "Maybe we should give her..."

Too late! Goompapa was hosing her down. And it really worked, as they all could see. The grey paint that had transformed Daisy was dripping down into the grass, along with the paint that used to be her tail and mouse ears.

And in the end, she stood there, wearing nothing but her crown.

"Oh... oh my..." Goompapa murmured as he turned as red as Mario's hat. "Umm, sorry about this..."

"Kids, don't stare that way, it's impolite!" Gooma said as she covered Goombaria's and Goombario's eyes. "Goompa, hurry and get a blanket for the princess. She must be freezing."

Daisy winced as she tried to cover her intimate parts with her arms. "I wonder if Peach ever got into a situation like this...?" she groaned.

----

"When does that road end?" Ukyo sighed. "I could use a break."

"Shampoo tired too," the amazon nodded. "Didn't flower ninja girl say there was house on way to town?"

"Well, maybe we missed it," Ana said. "I don't really know the area around Toad-Town too well, we rarely leave Diamond City."

"I wish we could just take a taxi..." Ukyo mumbled as she sat down on a yellow block.

"Yeah, our friends Dribble and Spitz would be a great help now," Kat agreed. "But just like us, they don't leave Diamond City too often... Ukyo, don't forget to release that block of its contents."

"Oh, all right, I forgot," Ukyo said. She stood up and whacked the yellow block hard with her big spatula, which was still crackling with electricity. A few more coins popped out of the block.

"Well, at least we can use these to buy a nice drink in town," Ukyo sighed as she put the coins into her pocket. "I doubt they would accept yen..."

"Hey you!" an annoyed voice suddenly yelled. "What are you doing here? These woods are my turf! Get outta here!"

Shampoo blinked. "Spatula girl see what Shampoo see?"

"Well, if you also see a small turtle kid with an eggshell around his body and a nasty look on his face, then yeah, I think I'm seeing the same as you, Shampoo."

"You better beat it, punks!" the egg-shelled Koopa kid shouted. "Or I'm gonna pound you into the ground. I'm Jr. Troopa, and you'll wish you never crossed paths with me!"

"Now that's a rude kid..." Kat frowned.

"But he isn't the one who transformed you, is he?" Ukyo asked.

"No, Bowser Junior is bigger than this brat, and even though he's still the youngest of Bowser's kids, he doesn't wear eggshells any more... I hardly think this guy will be any problem."

"Hey, shut uuuupp!" Jr. Troopa shouted. "I'm the meanest guy around, you got that? Even Mario knows of my power!"

"Yeah, sure..." Kat mocked. "And I'm a Pokey in disguise..."

"You better teach your talking ribbon to be more polite, broad!" the rude little Koopa grumbled.

"Excuse me?" Ukyo glared at Jr. Troopa. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me, ya stupid wench!" he shouted.

"Shampoo... we really need to teach that guy a lesson, don't you think?" Ukyo tightened the grip on her spatula and charged it with the electric powers Kat was providing her with.

"Shampoo with you, spatula girl!" Shampoo said and set her bonbori aflame. "Little eggshell turtle have any last words?"

Jr. Troopa gulped when he saw the two element-charged girls approaching him. "I'm... I'm not afraid of you..." he said. "Stop! Don't come near me... I'm warning you..."


	12. A loving mother

"Here it-a comes!" Mario shouted, shoving Goombella out of the way as the giant, fanged block of doom came crashing down from the ceiling.

"Eeek!" the Goomba girl yelped while she rolled across the floor. Ryoga dodged the Tchomp as well, but Kodachi was a tiny bit too slow.

Her painful cry echoed through the hall as one of her new Paratroopa wings got ripped off her shell.

Kodachi's first thought was how strange it was that she felt pain at all. After all, the wing was just something she attached to her shell herself... not a true part of her body... or was it?

The sound of her cry, together with the sight of his sister squirming in pain was enough to send Ryoga over the edge.

"NOBODY HURTS MY SISTER!!" he yelled with rage, as he withdrew into his shell and started spinning on the spot.

"Like, what is he doing?" Goombella wondered.

"Uh-oh..." Mario gulped. He quickly ran over to Kodachi and helped her to her feet. "Quick, get out of the way!"

And then the yellow, black-spotted Koopa shell started to fly wildly through the room, ricocheting off the walls and confusing the heck out of the Tchomp.

Finally, the shell hit its mark... and when he smacked right into the creature's face, Ryoga yelled loudly: "BAKUSAI TENKETSU REVISED: CRACK SHELL!"

With all of Ryoga's ki focussed in the front part of his shell, even the Tchomp's sturdy rock hide could not withstand this assault. At first, only a tiny crack formed, but as the shell continued to spin, it grew bigger and bigger, additional cracks appeared... and the Tchomp let out a deafening roar just before his rocky body broke apart in a shower of pebbles.

Ryoga was repeatedly hit by the rock shards, but his shell protected him. When it was over, he came back out and panted heavily.

Goombella, Mario and Kodachi peered out from behind a pillar.

"Is it safe to come out?" Goombella squeaked.

Ryoga nodded as he plopped down to the floor tired. That attack took too much out of him...

"That's-a great!" Mario cheered. "Whoohoo! Great job, Ryoga! Now you two can finally use that magical power."

Kodachi was shocked. Not only because of the pain she felt when her wing got ripped off, but also because of how Ryoga reacted when she was hurt... And somehow, she was... moved by it.

She blinked. Was that really her? Did she just think a thankful thought? No blind hatred, no jealousy, no insane possessiveness?

Ryoga stumbled to his feet, picked something off the ground and gave it to her with a weak smile. "Here, I believe that's yours..."

Kodachi took the Para-Wing and looked down at it with awe. This little thing... it was now much more to her than just a present. It showed to her that THIS wasn't just an evil spell... this was a real body, made of flesh and blood. And it was HER body.

As well as Ryoga was HER brother.

She looked up at him with teary eyes. "Th-thank you..." she murmured. "B... brother..."

Ryoga smiled back at her. "Anytime, sis!"

"Hey, would you look at this?" Goombella suddenly shouted. "Something's moving in the rubble..."

Surprised, they all turned to face the biggest pile of rocks in the middle of the room, the place where the Tchomp had been standing right before he got destroyed.

"Keep your guard up..." Mario murmured. "I think it's not over yet..."

The pebbles got pushed aside... and a pair of huge eyes blinked at the foursome.

"Awww, it's like sooo CUTE!" Goombella gushed.

It was indeed cute. A tiny, football-sized stone block with a big mouth and a pair of adorable eyes. It looked around the room in confusion, then it spotted a tiny rock in front of it... and it happily gobbled it down.

"What's-a going on here?" Mario asked. "Where did this Baby Tchomp come from?"

"Wait a sec..." Goombella said as she consulted her Tattle Log. "Okay, it says here that when a Tchomp reaches adolescence, it creates an additional layer of rocks around its body, making it an adult. The original baby body stays dormant as long as the adult body is intact. But, as a safety measure, the baby body stays in there as well, in case the adult Tchomp would meet its demise. Then the baby in its middle will be reborn, with only the memories it gathered until the adult shell was created."

"That means it doesn't really remember fighting us?" Ryoga wondered. "Still, why is it so docile? It doesn't seem to be bothered by our presence at all."

"Baby Tchomps are like that," Goombella explained. "They aren't afraid as long as their parents are around."

"But there aren't any parents around here..." Kodachi said in confusion. But then she realized something. "Uh-oh..."

The tiny Tchomp creature rubbed up against her leg with a big smile on its face. "Mommy!" it said happily.

"Oh, that can't be true..." the black-shelled Koopa girl groaned.

"Well, it's certainly better behaved than when it still wanted to eat us," Ryoga chuckled. "It's really cute, why don't we keep it?"

"You've GOT to be kidding me!" Kodachi blurted out.

"Why not?" Ryoga smiled as he knelt down next to the baby. "I think I'll call it Scrunch... Hi there, Scrunch!"

Scrunch happily nuzzled the turtle boy's hand.

Mario then cleared his throat. "Um, I don't want to disturb the happy threesome... but isn't this what you've come here for?" He gestured at the stone altar, where a shiny crystal had appeared, shaped like a humanoid Whomp.

Ryoga and Kodachi approached the altar, with Scrunch hopping behind them. "Is this...?" Kodachi murmured.

"Yes, this must be it," Goombella nodded. "The ancient artifact of the Whonk civilization Professor Frankly told me about."

"And the source of magical power Merluvlee mentioned," Mario added. "So, if you two still want to have it, all you have to do is touch it."

The two Koopa siblings looked at each other uncertainly, but then they nodded and walked closer to the shiny artifact.

"I might have accepted my birth form, but it would be convenient if I could turn back into a human when I'm back in Nerima..." Kodachi murmured.

"Yeah, same here!" Ryoga agreed. "That is, if I find my way back there..."

Kodachi smirked. "Oh, come on, brother dear! You wouldn't be able to find your way back out of these ruins without any help."

"Ooh, now you think you've got me, right?" Ryoga smirked. "But you know what, sis? I'll have someone who can guide me out of here, and maybe even back to Nerima."

"Oh? And who might that be?" Kodachi asked.

Ryoga smiled and gave her a hug. "Only my one and only sister..."

Kodachi couldn't help herself... she hugged him back, and a single tear was running down her scaly cheek. Together, they then faced the shiny crystal and reached out to touch it...

"Awww, isn't that sweet?" Goombella gushed. "True sibling love..."

Mario nodded with a sigh. He was suddenly feeling very lucky that he had his brother Luigi. He pitied all the siblings that couldn't get along with each other...

A bright light filled the room...

----

"I told you not to disturb my studies!" Ludwig von Koopa yelled as he threw his brother out of his room. "Now leave me alone!"

"But bro!" Larry protested. "I just wanted to ask you if you've seen Junior around. Dad wants to see him..."

"I couldn't care less about that annoying little brat!" the self-proclaimed crown prince of the royal Koopa line huffed. "He's an arrogant, evil tyke who needs to learn his place. He's the youngest, therefore he has to listen to all of us. But nooo, he's Father's special little darling, and because of that, he seems to believe that he can get away with everything he does... just like you, by the way!" Ludwig added as he glared at his younger sibling. "You are almost as annoying as he is. Now stay out of my room! Composing Koopa symphonies isn't as easy as it might seem." And he slammed the door to his room in front of his brother's face.

"Sheesh..." Larry grumbled. "What's bitten him...?"

----

A sizzling, charred and twitching Koopa brat in eggshells was left behind while the two girls from Nerima walked the path the two former ninja girls have told them.

"Just you wait..." he had time to sputter. "The next time we meet... I won't go this easy on you..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Ukyo grumbled as she continued to walk. "Dang, I don't really like to pick on little kids like that... but he needed to be taught a lesson."

"Shampoo think he has either learned lesson... or is more stubborn than Airen!"

Ukyo smirked. "Yeah, Ranchan can be stubborn like that... although he never would be as rude as that guy back there."

"You certainly talk much about this 'Ranma' boy..." Ana spoke up from Shampoo's forehead.

"Well, he IS pretty much everything that I'm striving for," Ukyo said with a dreamy smile.

"No way! Ranma MY Airen!" Shampoo protested. "He beat Shampoo in fair combat!"

"Oh yeah? Just for your information, he beat ME too!"

"He beat Shampoo earlier, so that not count."

"Sugar, your backwater village rules don't apply here, get a hint! Ranma doesn't want you! You're just scaring him away with your constant glomping. He told ME that I was cute... I am his childhood friend... and I was the first one he was promised to. He just can choose only me!"

"In your dreams, spatula girl..." Shampoo growled.

"Um, it's nice to see the two of you get along so well..." Kat said.

----

Just a couple of minutes later, they finally reached the edge of the forest... and the outskirts of Toad-Town. Both Nerima girls were a bit dumbfounded by the sheer amount of mushroom midgets that were walking along the streets, but they were too tired and too hungry to be surprised.

"Finally!" Ukyo sighed. "I can't wait for a nice, relaxing bath in a hotel..."

"And a nice bowl of ramen," Shampoo agreed.

Ukyo frowned. "Okonomiyaki would be much better, but whatever. Any type of food will do."

"The Toad House is over there, near the post office," Kat told the two girls. "But can't we try to find someone who can help us with our current... problem?"

"Oh, right," Ukyo said sheepishly. "For a while, I forgot about that. But who could we ask in such a case?"

"Airen!"

Ukyo groaned. "Shampoo, even if Ranma were here, I doubt that he could tell us how to break a spell that an inhabitant of this world cast upon our two friends here."

"No, Shampoo mean... Airen! Over there!" And she ran over to the Item Shop, a big grin on her face.

Ranma and Akane were standing there, both looking into the shop's showcase. Both Luigi and the princess had asked them to buy some new batteries for the Poltergust. When King Boo was captured, it had used up most of its energy, and now they needed more batteries to be on the safe side when they wanted to capture the other ghosts that were still floating through their castle.

"I can't believe Happosai got away just like that..." Ranma grumbled. "I wish I could have kicked his butt..."

"Well, he IS a ghost now," Akane pointed out. "That means he can float through walls. Oh, would you take a look at this, Ranma?" Akane giggled. "They're selling little sheep in here that help you with falling asleep."

"I'd rather try a few of these mushrooms..." Ranma said while licking his lips. Training was fun, but it always made him so hungry afterwards. "Ya think they would be good with some noodles?"

He gasped when he was suddenly glomped from behind by a pair of strong arms. Then he groaned. "There is only one person in the world who can glomp me like this..."

"AIREN!" Shampoo squealed happily. "Shampoo make you all the ramen you want! You happy to see Shampoo too?"

"SHAMPOO! Get your hands of him right now! Dammit, Ranma! How can you let her hang herself all over you like that?"

'Yup,' Ranma sighed. 'Here we go again!'

"Hey! Let go of Ranchan, you Chinese hussy! I am his fiancee!"

"In your dreams, Ukyo!"

"You wanna fight, Akane?"

"Shampoo beat all of you!"

"All right, that's ENOUGH!" Ranma yelled, loud enough that the three fiancees looked at them in surprise, as well as all the Toads that were nearby.

"Well, this is... certainly an interesting relationship all of you have," Ana spoke up, while at the same time, she thought: 'Poor boy...'

Akane blinked. Not knowing how she should react to Ranma's sudden outburst, she pointed at Shampoo's head and said. "Um, Shampoo, your... bandana just spoke."

"Oh, that's just Ana," Ukyo said. "She and her sister Kat..." She pointed at her own ribbon. "Have been transformed by some turtle brat with a magical paintbrush."

"Hello everybody!" Kat said. She would have waved, but that was difficult to do without having any hands.

"We came here to find someone who can help them turn back," Shampoo explained. "Ranma know somebody?"

"Well, since I've never been in this town before either..." Ranma shrugged.

"Wait, what about that fortune teller Mario told us about?" Akane asked. "The one he wanted to take Ryoga and Kodachi to."

"You know Mario?" Kat asked with surprise. "THE Mario?"

"Ryoga and Kodachi are here as well?" Ukyo sighed. "What is this, an excursion for martial artists?"

"You don't know the half about it..." Akane mumbled.

Suddenly, a loud explosion made them all jump in surprise.

"What the heck was that?" Ukyo asked.

"That came from the castle," Ranma gasped when he saw the cloud of smoke that was rising above the castle's towers. "C'mon, the princess might be in trouble."

The fiancees hurried after Ranma. "Princess?" Shampoo asked. "She not another new wife for Airen, right?"

----

Just a couple of minutes earlier, Junior and his two servants had arrived at the castle... at it's backside, to be precise.

"Nobody will suspect us from attacking from behind," the mischievous Koopa prince cackled. "Very soon Mama Peach will come back to us... Papa will be so proud of me!"

"But Monsieur!" Varita protested. "There isn't even an entrance back here, non?"

"I know that," Junior smirked. "That's why I'm gonna use my magic brush to paint a new one."

"But ze moat?" Valerie pointed out.

"You trans-gendered, villainous plumber-maids have no imagination!" Junior sighed. "Watch closely!"

He raised his paintbrush, then walked over to the moat and made a few sweeps with his magical tool. And with every stroke of the brush, he created part of a wooden bridge that was leading directly across the moat.

When the work was done, Junior pulled back his brush and smirked at his two followers.

"Incredible, Monsieur!" Varita said. She exchanged a quick glance with her sister. They both nodded at each other. While on their way to the castle, they had been able to quietly whisper to each other, while Junior was walking ahead, ranting about what he was gonna do to anyone who would stand in his way. Together, they realized that the paint which had transformed them should be washed away by water... and crossing the moat of the castle was the ideal chance they got to free themselves from Junior's control.

"I know!" Junior grinned. "Now then, ladies, follow me!" He walked across the bridge, never paying attention to any of his two maids. When he arrived at the back wall of the castle, he painted a small door, just big enough for him and his maids to fit through.

He was surprised when he suddenly heard two loud splashes from behind. He turned around. "Girls?" he wondered. "Where are you?"

He was very surprised when a bulky and a lanky shape came jumping out of the water, landing on the bridge in front of him.

Wario cracked his knuckles. "Now... you... PAY!"

"Nobody tortures Waluigi like that!" his skinny brother proclaimed while angrily shaking his fist.

Junior gritted his teeth. "You traitors! Is this how you thank me? I was offering you to be my servants, and now you attack me? You... you big meanies!"

"No Daddy here to help you out, little boy!" Wario grinned as he and his brother came closer. "Any last words?"

Junior brandished his weapon. "I still have the paintbrush!"

"Try to paint THIS!" Wario yelled while charging at the young Koopa with his shoulder.

Kimmy Koopa was still in the castle's courtyard, tidying up the training tools she, Ranma and Akane had used... when suddenly, a spiky-shelled boy that looked kinda familiar to her came whooshing through the air, just barely missing her as he was smacked into the wall at the other side of the courtyard.

She looked back where he came from and was surprised to see a door there that hasn't been there before... and it was completely blocked by a fat, yellow-clothed body.

"Get out of the way, brother!" a voice behind Wario screeched. "I wanna smash him up!"

"Ung... I can't..." Wario grunted. "I'm stuck..."

"All right!" Kimmy said sternly. "What's the meaning of this, Wario? I thought you were already in your way back to Diamond City?"

Behind her, Junior had just jumped back to his feet. "AAAAAAAAHH!" he yelled. "You're all going to pay for this!" And he twirled his paintbrush around, shooting paintballs all over the place.

Kimmy quickly ducked behind the Bullet Bill Launcher she had used in their training. "That kid's crazy..." she murmured. "Just like his father... Hmmm... maybe this will shut him up!" And she quickly turned the Bullet Bill Launcher around and fired a Bullet Bill at the rampaging prince.

Meanwhile, Princess Peach had taken Toadette into her room to have a stern word with her, while Luigi and Toad were still searching the castle for the two fled Boos.

"Really, Toadette, I'm disappointed! My castle isn't a racing track! And my beautiful cake... destroyed! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm really, really sorry about this," Toadette cringed. "But I was so furious... I just wanted to get that panty thief, don't you understand?"

"I understand that, but you could have asked me or Luigi for help first," Peach scolded. "Why did you keep your kart in your room, anyways? I will... huh? What's the racket outside?"

She curiously opened the door to her balcony, and gasped when she looked down. "What is going on out here?"

Kimmy had just fired her Bullet Bill, but Junior acted quickly, creating a small brick wall with his brush. Still, the missile's blast was strong enough to destroy it, and the explosion sent him flying, directly into the arms of a surprised Princess Peach.

Junior grinned up at her. "Oh, hi there, Mama!"

"J-junior!" Peach was so shocked that she didn't even think about letting go of him.

Just then, the paintbrush Junior was still holding was giving off a few sparks. Junior looked at it and gulped. "Uh-oh..." he murmured. "The thing is malfunctioning... the explosion might have been too much!"

And when suddenly, a huge amount of goop came spouting forth from the tip of the brush, Peach had barely time to shout for help when she and Junior both got buried under a huge pile of paint...

"PRINCESS!" Toadette shouted with horror.

----

Ryoga smiled when he looked upwards, where his new sister was twirling through the air with her Para-Wings, finally happy with the form she was born in. And happy that she could always turn back into a human when necessary.

They had both tried it, directly after touching the crystal. Both had felt a small tingling, but that was it. And when Mario suggested trying out if it worked... both of them were able to turn back into their human forms again... changing of clothes INCLUDED! Ryoga was certain that he would have developed a massive nosebleed if that hadn't been the case. Heck, he was nearly getting one just by thinking about that possibility or not. Sister or not, Kodachi had still one heck of a body.

But now, she also had a sane mind to get along with it...

Ryoga was back in his human form, walking alongside Mario and Goombella while they walked back to Toad-Town. Kodachi had been happy, sure... but now that she had accepted her new role in life, she seemed to be much more content with being a Koopa.

Besides, flying was incredibly fun.

Goombella looked up at Ryoga. He had been taller than her to begin with, but now that he was a human again, he towered even over Mario... not to mention her tiny, little Goomba body.

"I wish I could do something like that..." she sniffled while carrying her backpack. "I wish I was bigger than that."

"Aw, don't be sad," Mario comforted her. "Everyone has his or her place in this world, and even though Goombas are small, they can do big things, just like anyone else. You and Goombario proved that when you helped me against Bowser, the X-Nauts and the Shadow Queen."

"I guess that's true..." she sighed. Oh well, at least she had something incredible to bring back to the Goom University. 'Professor Frankly will be so proud of me...' she thought.

"Your sister certainly looks like she's-a enjoying herself, Ryoga," Mario said.

Ryoga nodded with a smile. "Yup, I can hardly believe it... back in Nerima, she was a completely different person... and I don't just mean her appearance."

"I think I know what you mean," Mario agreed. The first time he met Kodachi, she seemed very cold and distant, hating everything that she wasn't used to.

"Maybe... the curse is already weakening..." he murmured. "Kodachi is much more saner, and Ryoga hasn't gotten lost ever since we left the ruins..."

"Hey, hurry up, you slowpokes!" came Kodachi's laughter from above. "We're almost in Toad-Town, so don't fall behind!" She swooped down and fluttered alongside them. Clinging to her back was Scrunch, who nuzzled her neck affectionally. He seemed to enjoy the ride immensely.

"Give us a break, sis!" Ryoga laughed. "You're the only winged Koopa around here. Well, I COULD keep up with you... but I'm not too sure about Mario and Goombella."

"Goombas don't have exactly long legs..." Goombella sighed.

"Well, in the end, we reached our goal anyways," Mario chuckled as they walked through the entrance gate of town. "Now we go and tell Princess Peach the good news so we can..."

"MARIO! MARIO!" Toad came running up to them, a panicked expression on his face.

"What's-a going on?" Mario asked. "What are you flustered about now, Toad?"

"It's, it's terrible... th-the p-p-princess... the c-castle... oooh, it's so horrible! You have to help her!"

"Now calm down there, dude!" Ryoga said. "And just tell us what the matter is."

----

Toadette glanced over to the bed her princess was sitting on while she was busy cleaning the remaining goop of the wall. While she was fortunate enough not getting hit by the paint, she couldn't believe what happened to her beloved princess.

Akane, Ranma, Ukyo, Shampoo, Kasumi, Nabiki, Toadsworth and Kenny were sitting on other chairs and tried very hard not to stare while Peach was happily caring for the child she was holding. But that alone was not the reason why they were staring.

The princess' lovely dress had been torn by her marvelous transformation. Instead, the only thing she was clad in was a layer of pale, yellow scales. On most parts of her body, they were very thin and soft, almost flesh-like, while the ridges that covered her chest, stomach and lower areas were as hard as a Buzzy Beetle's carapace. Two curved horns were sticking out of her blonde hair, and a long, reptilian tail was draped across the bed behind her. Her face was elongated just a tiny bit into the hint of a muzzle, while two cute little fangs were poking out of her mouth. Her whole body shape was the same as before, only that she was wearing a pink, spiked Koopa Shell on her back.

In her arms, she was cradling a young Koopaling, with a pair of red pigtails and a very human-like stature, just like the princess herself. She was wearing a diaper on which a pair of sharp jaws was visible. She also nursed from a big bottle of milk the princess was holding.

Peach hummed a soft song, which seemed to soothe the little baby girl.

The door opened, and Luigi came in, followed by Kimmy.

"All right," he said. "We locked the Wario Brothers into the storeroom for now. I couldn't find any trace of the two Boos, they must have escaped."

"I knew I should have pounded Happosai into the ground when I had the chance..." Ranma grumbled.

"Yeah, and damaged the castle walls while he made himself intangible," Nabiki sneered. "He's a ghost now, Ranma, I don't think you can fight him the same way."

"Well, at least he's out of the castle for now," Kimmy sighed. "How's the princess faring?" she whispered.

Toadsworth shook his head. "She seems fine, but she refuses to let go of the Koopaling ever since we cleared the magical paint from them..."

Peach smiled. "I am fine, Kimmy, thank you for worrying." And she went back to feed the little one until the bottle was empty.

The little girl burped. "Mommy, I'm still hungry..." she whined.

"Well then, let's go look if there's some milk left in the kitchen, shall we?" Peach smiled. "You have cleaned the place by now, haven't you, Toadette?"

The mushroom girl sighed. "Yes, there's no spot left."

"Good. Take care to leave no spot in this room, either." And she left the room.

Toadette leaned against her mop and groaned. "Why do I have to do this?" she whined.

"It was you who caused the mess in the kitchen," Toadsworth said sternly. "You should be thankful that the princess' punishment is as mild as this."

"Still, I'm worried about the princess..." Kimmy grumbled. "What if that paint messed up her mind? She seems to think that the brat is her own child."

"Well, I don't think it was Junior's goal to be transformed like this either," Luigi pointed out. "So maybe there are only cosmetic changes."

"Oh dear..." Ana sighed. "And I thought our own transformations were bad enough... and now he can't even turn us back."

"Yeah, the paintbrush is busted," Kenny nodded. "But still maybe Merlon knows of a way to cure both you and the princess..."

Kasumi smiled. "I think it's sweet that she cares for the little ones. It's almost like she's her real mommy..."

"That can't be!" Kimmy snapped. "She's the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and that brat is of Bowser's spawn... our two kingdoms will never live in peace!" Angrily, the Koopa woman left the room and hurried after the princess.

"Now that was real smooth, sis..." Nabiki sighed.

Kasumi was confused. "Was it something I said?"

Kenny sighed. "You must forgive her, Kasumi. She has been pressed by her father to be part of Bowser's army her whole life. And she had sworn to herself that she would never be a part of it again. I don't think there are other residents of the Mushroom Kingdom that hate the Koopa Kingdom as much as she does."

"I don't think hate should be the answer," Ranma frowned. "Fighting your opponent is one thing, but I never hated Kuno, Ryoga or Herb. They were rivals to me, sure, but I never really hated them."

Akane wondered about that. Back when he was fighting Saffron, she had witnessed how furious Ranma could become... but was it real hatred?

"But it was paint that turned her into this, right?" Ukyo asked. "Couldn't she just take a shower, and she turns back to normal again?"

"Hey!" Kat shouted. "If you had that idea, why not tell us sooner? The same thing could help us too, you know?"

"Sorry, I just thought about it," Ukyo winced. "But shouldn't we try it out?"

"Well, I'm for it," Toadsworth spoke up. "Anything to turn the princess back to normal, as soon as possible!"

"But... she looked so happy like this," Kasumi pondered. "I think we should ask her first."

----

Peach walked down the steps from the upper floor while carrying her little bundle of joy. The guards and servants she passed on her way looked after her in disbelief.

She knew that this was the same Koopaling that tried to kidnap her in the guise of Shadow Mario, but... she somehow couldn't stay angry at him - or rather, her - when she looked into those adorable eyes.

When she reached the lower floor of the castle, the main doors opened and Mario entered, followed by his old friend Goombella, Toad, a winged Kodachi and a young, human man she did not recognize.

"Peach! Toad told me what was going on. Are you all..." Mario stepped dead in his tracks when he looked upon her new body. Goombella nearly ran into him from behind.

"Hey, what gives?" the Goomba girl asked in annoyance, not noticing the princess.

"P-p-peach?" Mario mumbled.

The humanoid Koopa girl in front of him smiled. "Hello, Mario! How was your little trip to the ruins? Could you find anything?"

"Wh-what happened?" Kodachi stuttered as she landed next to her brother. "Which villain put this spell on you?" Yep, there was still a bit of Kuno left in her.

"I'm afraid Junior had played a bit roughly and caused this... accident. Now she's getting sleepy and I think I have to take her back to her brothers and sister..."

"Her... Peach, you mean... that's Junior?" Mario gaped at the little girl in Peach's arms. But then, he realized what she just said. "You... want to go to Bowser's castle? All by yourself?"

"Not right now! But tomorrow, yes, I think I'll go tomorrow. I don't think Bowser would hurt me. After all, I'm bringing back his son... well, daughter." She sighed. "The other children will be overjoyed to see their sister and mother again..."

"Something... is very wrong here..." Goombella whispered.


	13. Birdo's Beauty Bath

Peach sat in the kitchen, feeding the little bundle of scales that was cradled in her arms. She sweetly smiled as she watched Junior suckling on his bottle. No, she couldn't possibly stay mad at this sweet little girl, no matter what kind of a brat he had previously been.

"You need a mother, little one," she said softly. "I'm afraid your father isn't quite the most competent guy when it comes to parenting..."

Instead of suckling, the answer was soft snoring. Junior had fallen asleep. Peach smiled and stroke her hair. "I know the others won't be happy with this..." she murmured. "And it's not like I plan to stay like this forever... but I can't just send you back to your home like this, sweetie!"

She stood up and sighed to herself, staring down at her claws and tail. "I may be a more formidable fighter like this, but I probably should take a bit of equipment along on my journey..."

Carrying Junior with her, she went to leave the kitchen... and gasped when suddenly, a bucket of cold water came falling down on her head.

A brunette girl, tomboyishly dressed in a pair of shorts and a shirt stood in front of her and grinned. "I knew you'd be up to something like this right after Mario told me about what happened to you. And since water was what cured my little problem... well, a little shower was just what you needed, girlfriend!"

But then Daisy was taken aback. Both Peach and Junior were unaffected by the water... only that their hair was now soaked and the bucket was dangling from one of the princess' horns. Junior had woken up and cried in a scared voice.

Peach calmed her with a few, whispered words, then she looked at her friend with a sigh. "Daisy, if it would be as easy like this, I would have changed back as soon as I entered the kitchen. Do you and everybody else really think I'd like being like this?"

"Uh? B-but... I mean, I... when I changed back, I... huh? Why, you... why didn't it work?" Daisy stammered in confusion.

"It's probably because the magic paintbrush malfunctioned," Peach assumed while getting a towel from the kitchen. She started to dry her 'daughter's' scales. "When did you arrive here anyway, Daisy?" she asked her best friend.

Daisy sighed. "You see, Bowser's brats kidnapped me, Junior used me in one of his experiments that turned me into a Mouser and took me along on his way to your castle. In Goomba Village, I was forced to fight an elderly Goomba who knocked me out, and after that, they used water to change me back to normal. Afterwards, I hurried to get here as fast as possible to warn you. Mario's friend Goombario came along with me, I think he's with the others right now. I told the others I would take care of your little... problem, and here I am."

Peach looked down at the little, pig-tailed Koopa sternly. "Is that true, Junior?"

Junior winced, suddenly feeling very guilty. "Sowwy Mommy..." she lisped.

"We'll talk about this later," Peach sighed. "Daisy, you do realize that I won't leave her all alone by herself... and certainly not in the care of Bowser. So I'll go live with him until a cure is found."

"But why can't you take care of her right here, in your own castle?" Daisy wondered. "Why do you have to endanger yourself like that?"

"Irresponsible father or not, Bowser is still the child's father," Peach said sternly, this time to her friend. "It wouldn't be right to keep her away from him. I know Bowser wouldn't hurt me, so I don't think I'm in danger when I go to him."

"I guess I can't talk you out of this, right?" Daisy sighed. "You do realize that the journey to his castle is a long one, and his henchmen aren't the only ruffians in this kingdom."

"I know," Peach smiled. "That's why I was going to the armory to take a few things along on my way."

"Good, but not good enough. You'll need someone to back you up, and I'm just the girl for the job."

"But Daisy," Peach protested. "I couldn't possibly ask you to do this... you have responsibilities in your kingdom as well, and..."

"Hey, what kind of friend would I be if I would just let you go by yourself?" Daisy grinned. "Like it or not, I'm with you."

Peach smiled. "Thank you, Daisy! I knew you'd understand."

The princess of Sarasaland shrugged. "I can't say I understand why you're defending that little tyke, but I can clearly see that you made up your mind, that's all. Now, you just said you wanted to go to the armory..."

"That's right," Peach smiled. "You wanna come along?"

But just when the two princesses walked to the door behind which the cellar stairway was waiting, another pair was coming down from the upper stairs.

"What are you doing?" Toadette shouted. "You said you'd bring her back to her senses."

"Hey, I tried," Daisy defended herself. "But the water didn't work, and since I couldn't stop her, I thought I could still help her."

"Please don't try to stop me, Toadette," Peach said softly. "And try to explain it to Toadsworth and Mario. I know they wouldn't like this decision."

"I don't like this at all," Toadette whined. "Miss Kodachi, can't you do anything? You got those new powers from the ruins... can't you use them to turn the princess back to normal?"

"I am afraid that they only work on me," the black-shelled Koopa girl said in an apologetic voice. She walked up to Peach and asked: "You really are sure you want to do this?"

"I am, Kodachi!" Peach nodded, clutching Junior to her. "I won't abandon her."

Kodachi smiled. "I don't know you that long, but I think I understand. I haven't felt true love to my family back in Nerima... but now that I have a new family, I'm beginning to see that they are very important to me. And I can see that this girl is just as important to you now."

"So you're not trying to stop me, then?" Peach asked.

"On the contrary," Kodachi said. "I will come with you, too."

Daisy, Peach and Toadette were taken aback, but then Daisy grinned. "Well, the more the merrier, I say. We always can use some help."

"But Kodachi," Peach protested. "If you come with us to Bowser's castle, that would mean..."

"I know," Kodachi nodded. "I would meet my grandfather. I need to see him, princess! I need to see if he's really as bad as... as my mother says. I want to know what he's up to... and if there's any way I can make him come to his senses."

"But that's stupid!" Toadette protested. "He's Bowser's court magician, and I'm sure everything he's doing is because Bowser ordered him to do it."

"That's not true..." a meek voice spoke up. In surprise, they all looked at Junior.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Peach asked softly.

Junior looked up at her. "Kamek prepared something Daddy doesn't know about. And it... it made my brush so strong. I dunno how he could have made that potion, but... now I'm starting to wonder what he'd do to Daddy when he drinks it himself..."

Peach realized that while she was now much more peaceful and friendly than before, Junior still was as smart as he had been before. That is, especially smart for his young age. And maybe his new calm mind had helped him to see the danger coming from that potion Kamek made.

"If my grandfather did something like that... then I guess there's not much I can do to convince him to stop it," Kodachi sighed. "But still, I have to try it."

"Well, I certainly don't want Kamek to take over Bowser's kingdom," Peach frowned. "While Bowser certainly can be a nuisance, I don't want to know what Kamek could do in his place. He always was much more cunning... and cruel."

"Princess, you're not suggesting..." Toadette gasped.

"Yes, Toadette!" Peach nodded. "I will warn Bowser from what Kamek is doing. I think there are many things that need to be done in that Koopa household..." she muttered to herself. "And while I'm there to take care of Junior, I will make sure that things will change for the better."

Toadette realized that she couldn't stop her princess. "Okay then," she sighed. "I'll tell the others of your decision. Luigi just suggested that if the water doesn't work, we still could ask Professor E. Gadd for help. After all, he's the one who created that paintbrush. But please, promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

Peach smiled at the little mushroom girl. "Of course! We'll take enough items along that will help us. A few Fire Flowers, a few Magic Leaves, one or two Hammer Suits... and whatever we can find. And when Daisy and Kodachi are there to help me out, I think we can manage to stay out of trouble. Please tell Mario not to worry too much about me, okay?"

"O-okay..." Toadette murmured. "G-good luck!"

----

"This isn't fair..." Happosai grumbled as he floated through the mushroom thicket. "Why does Ranma always have to interfere? I mean, that mushroom girl wasn't exactly a beauty... but still, panties are panties. And anyways, why does he keep on spoiling my fun like that...?"

Boonita, who was floating next to him, shuddered. "I'm just glad we managed to escape that vacuum-cleaner-swinging plumber Luigi. Did you notice he gets kinda irritable when somebody messes with his hat? Scaaary, I'm telling ya..."

"I couldn't care less about that mustached moron," Happosai grumbled. "Unlike you, I'm not even a ghost... and I'm getting sick of this getup, too." And with a resolute movement, he took off the Boo disguise, turning it back into the Boo Mushroom and himself into the same wrinkled, old martial artist he had been before he visited the Mushroom Kingdom.

Boonita's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Whaaat?" she nearly screeched. "You're not really a Boo? Then why did I bother with you at all?"

"Hey, I agreed to help you with that Luigi fella, didn't I?" Happosai pointed out. "It's not my fault that he has two maniacal mushroom midgets as his friends... Hey, try saying that quickly! Maniacal Mushroom Midgets, Maniacal Mushroom Midgets..."

"I got it already," Boonita muttered. "To tell you the truth, I couldn't even care less if you were a Boo, a human or a Crayzee Dayzee, but King Boo tends to act... mistrustful against all that are not Boos themselves. Okay, he does one or two jobs for Bowser every now and then, but generally..."

"Who did you say again did he work with this time?" Happosai asked casually.

"With Kamek, that's Bowser's court magician and... hey!" She gasped and went as white as a sheet... well, even whiter as usual. "I wasn't supposed to tell that to anyone! Ooooh, I'm gonna be in sooooo much trouble when the king finds out..."

"Well, I could stay quiet about that..." Happosai smiled slyly. "If you would tell me more about their plans..."

"All right, you win..." the girl ghost sniffled. "Oh, why didn't I listen to my mother? She always said, your big mouth is gonna be the death of you some day... Okay, where should I start?"

"Well, for starters, let's talk about..." Suddenly, Happosai perked up his ears. "Did you hear that?"

Boonita listened up as well. "Sounds like the splashing of water," she said. "Maybe there's a lake nearby..."

"Yes, but I also could hear a voice... a lovely voice who's singing to herself... I would always recognize those sounds, even in my sleep..." He grinned. "Oh yes, that's the unmistakable sound of a girl taking a bath all by herself in a relaxing spring... the perfect opportunity to peep! And to fondle! And maybe even to steal her panties... And who knows, maybe my unknown beauty has brought a few friends..."

Boonita retched. "You are disgusting, you know that?"

But Happosai didn't listen. With a huge smile on his wrinkled face, he jumped through the thicket until he reached a big pond in the middle of the forest. "Here I am, my darling! Come and let me give you an innocent... hug?"

Happosai opened his eyes. The thing he was hugging looked like a huge, round, tube-shaped snout that was almost as big as his whole body. It belonged to a pink, dinosaur-like creature with a white belly, long eyelashes and a red bow on its head.

Happosai was so shocked that he let go of the creature's snout and fell back into the water.

Birdo fluttered her eyelashes. "Ooooh, a secret admirer! I am so flattered! Did you come here because of me, darling? Oh, that makes me so HAPPY!" She fished the still dazed Happosai out of the water and squeezed him against her belly. "Oh, you are so darn cute and huggable!"

"No...!" Happosai mumbled as he struggled against the crazed dino-girl's grip. "Leggo... you're not the girl I'm looking for..."

"No need to be shy now, my dear... I could see how stunned you were by my beauty. Oh, its has been such a long time since my last lover left me..."

"I can't imagine why..." Happosai grumbled. "Last chance, let go of me!"

"Why should I do that?" Birdo honked in her melodic, but also nasal voice. "What's so wrong about giving the one you love an innocent hug?"

"I heard that one before..." Happosai winced. He tried to break free, but somehow all his strength was drained from his body. "Boonita, do something!" he squeaked.

The Boo girl looked at the absurd scene in bewilderment. "Um, I'm gonna let you two lovebirds sort this out by yourselves," she decided.

"See?" Birdo gushed. "She agrees! We were meant to be!"

"All right, enough is enough!" Happosai hissed as he freed himself from the dinosaur's grip. He jumped back to the edge of the lake and panted heavily. "Man, talk about stubborn..."

Birdo came running after him with splashing feet. "Come back, my love!" she shouted. "Aw, they're so cute when they play hard to get..."

"You pesky little... HAPPO DAIKARIN!" And he hurled one of his trusty firecrackers at the pink dinosaur.

Birdo could only blink in surprise, then the firecracker landed directly in the middle of her snout, where it got stuck in the tube-like hole.

"Mmmmhmmmm? Hmmmmm hmmmmffffh!" she mumbled, but she couldn't get the weird object out of her mouth, her arms were just too short. Not even noticing the shrinking fuse, she did the only thing she could think of: She sucked the firecracker into her mouth, inhaled deeply... and shot a big, white egg into Happosai's direction.

"Gack!" Happosai yelped in surprise when the white, exceptional projectile came flying at him. He didn't know that his own firecracker was still inside the egg, so he jumped up and caught it with his hands. "Back to the sender!" he yelled, pulling back his arm to throw the egg back into Birdo's direction.

And then it exploded right in his hands.

The sudden explosion made Birdo stumble backwards into the water in surprise. Boonita squeaked and hid among the bushes. When she peered out again, she saw the slightly charred form of Happosai standing there in the same pose he had just before he wanted to throw the egg.

"Talk... about hard-boiled..." he muttered, before plopping on his back.

Birdo's head came peeking out of the water. "Darling? Where are you?" she shouted.

"I think we better get out of here..." Boonita murmured. She made herself half-intangible and made use of a trick she already used when she played in the so-called Charged Strikers Tournament, where she used it to score one goal after the other by keeping the ball in her body.

This time, she enclosed the twitching form of Happosai in her half-transparent body and carried him away from the pond as fast as she could. She knew how possessive that dinosaur could be...

Some time after they left, Happosai started to budge inside her tummy. "I could have handled her..." he grumbled.

"You're lucky I could take you out of there in time, gramps!" she frowned. "I pity you, though, even if you deserve it... do you even know what they say about Birdo?"

"No, should I?" Happosai wondered.

"Well," she whispered. "They say that she's not... (whisper, whisper) and that she's actually a... (whisper, whisper)"

Happosai's eyes were bulging. "Are you serious?" he whispered.

"Well, that's what they say," Boonita shrugged.

Happosai shivered. "To think... that I could have landed in the clutches of THAT creature..."

----

"Kall the Kaptain!" a shrill voice screeched. "Kall the Kaptain!"

A dark, feathered shape flitted around the masts of the barque, almost colliding with the white sails.

"Anchors aweigh!" somebody yelled from down below. "Shiver me timbers, you scurvy sea dogs, we're setting sail!"

The black parrot landed gently on the shoulder of an imposing figure, dressed in the outfit of a classic pirate captain, complete with a typical hat with a skull and crossbones design on it.

Kaptain K.Rool, leader of the Kremling Krew, was back in one of his 'pirate phases', where he loved to terrorize the seas with his beloved ship, the Gangplank Galleon - especially the sea around the well-known Kongo Island.

"What's wrong, Screech?" he asked the bird in his deep, raspy voice. "You've got something to say to your dear Kaptain?"

"Sir, I have spotted an undentified flying object that is approaching us at a high velocity. It's coming from the southeast."

"Southeast, you say?" the ruler of the reptilian Kremling race rubbed his scaly chin. "Lemme see... KRUSHA!"

"Ready for duty, sir!" a muscular, but slightly dim-witted, blue Kremling announced as he came running out of the ship's cabin.

"You nearly stepped on my foot, you dimwit!" K.Rool snarled. "Where's my telescope?"

"Here it is, sir!" Krusha said as he handed the requested item. The kaptain took it and looked into the direction his parrot Screech had indicated.

"Hmmm..." he said after sharpening the lens. "Looks like one of those propeller-heads that work for Kamek... I wonder what the old coot wants from me."

"Why don't you ask that guy when he arrives, Kaptain?" Screech asked.

"Smartass..." K.Rool grumbled, but he smirked, knowing from all his men, only his pet could ever say anything like that and get away with it.

They didn't have to wait long. The flying Toadie had already spotted the sailing ship and descended until he landed on the bridge, in front of Kaptain K.Rool's claws.

He huffed and puffed. "Man, am I glad that I found you, Kaptain... your ship is harder to find than a Monty Mole on Mt. Rugged."

"Spare me the blabbing," K.Rool growled. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The Toadie took a deep breath. "Sir, my name is Igor, and I am in the service of Master Kamek. My master ordered me to come to you with a message."

"Give it to me then, you slimy little toad!" K.Rool snarled and snatched the envelope out of Igor's little hand. After hastily reading the letter, a broad grin appeared on his crocodile face. "That old goat! He really thinks he can misuse our old friendship to convince me to do him a favor?"

"What does he want, Kaptain?" Screech asked.

"He asked me to do a job for him... a dirty little job, I might point out. He wants me to kidnap some guy who has something my dear old friend wants to have for himself... Say, my little Toadie? What exactly is in it for me? Kamek is on the wrong track when he believes that I'm gonna do it for free, just because of old times."

"My master intends to pay you handsomely, Kaptain!" Igor said and bowed.

"So, does he? Last time I checked he was still working for that chump Bowser, and I doubt that idiotic turtle would ever give him money to pay me for a job."

"Kamek isn't doing this for Bowser... he plans to overthrow the tyrant so he can become the new ruler of the Koopa Kingdom. In addition to the normal price of golden coins, he also offers you to keep the prisoner he wants you to catch. He's a formidable fighter, so imagine what he could do as a member of your krew!"

"Yeesss..." K.Rool mumbled. "I still have that old mind-control helmet I used on that ape Donkey Kong and his silly little nephew... The Kongo Islands could use a new Kaos..." He grinned. "And if Kamek becomes the new ruler of the Koopa Kingdom, we can finally work together with the Koop Troop, and together, we can conquer both Kongo Island and the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser never wanted to work with me... but this time, Kamek pulls the strings! I like that plan, my boy Tell the old coot I agree with his terms."

"On the map that was also in the envelope, you will find the place where you can wait for the boy to show up. He will come there, be sure of that."

"Hopefully," K.Rool grumbled. "I don't want to make such a journey for nothing. Well, give your boss my rewards, I have to steer this vessel to the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Igor nodded and took off again, while the Kremling leader shouted his commands to his men.

Meanwhile, unnoticed to any of them, three pairs of eyes appeared in the water close to the ship. Two furry monkeys were holding tight onto the blue body of an elegant swordfish.

"Did you hear that, Lanky?" Diddy Kong whispered. "They are planning to attack the Mushroom Kingdom. We must inform DK, so he can warn the mushroomers."

"All right," the orangutan nodded. To the swordfish, he said: "Bring us back, Enguarde, old buddy... but be careful not to swim too fast again, or I'll slip off even with my long arms."

----

In the big meeting room of Peach's Castle, on the second floor...

"She did-a WHAT?" Mario nearly leapt to the ceiling in shock.

"She told me that she's going to bring Junior back to his... her father. And since water doesn't work anymore, she decided to stay at Bowser's place until the Professor or Merlon find a cure," Toadette explained.

"But what if there IS no cure?" Mario sighed.

"Hey, don't give up that easily," Ranma said. "As long as we don't know, there's still hope, right?"

"I hate to admit, but Ranma's right with this one," Ryoga nodded. He was back in Koopa form for now and stood with his parents. "Still, I wonder if she's really in danger... she said that Bowser wouldn't harm her, right?"

"You have to be joking!" Toad protested. "She is going to Bowser's Castle. "Billions of dangers await her!"

"Toad's a bit exaggerating, but he's right," Luigi frowned. "The risk is too great."

"And even if Bowser makes sure that the princess stays, his castle is where my father has his laboratory..." Kimmy grumbled. "And with the potion he brewed, he might very well be the most dangerous Koopa in history."

"All right, I get it!" Goombario said. "It's all Kamek's fault! So, let's get out there, storm the castle and kick hiss wrinkly behind!"

"Sweetie, like, calm down," Goombella sighed. "You won't help Princess Peach by bashing your bonehead against Bowser's front door..."

Goombario pouted. "It's a pretty hard head..."

"Back on topic, guys!" Kenny shouted. "Luigi, did you already give the professor a message?"

"Of course I did," the green-clothed plumber nodded.

"Um... you didn't send Parakarry, did you, bro?" Mario asked. "We can't afford to wait until someone helps him to find his mail again... he's a great guy, but he can be clumsy at times."

"Don't you worry, I gave him a phone call," Luigi said. "And he promised me he'd be here in no time."

"And what about Merlon?" Kenny asked.

"Ukyo and Shampoo volunteered to see if he or his granddaughter can help us," Kasumi smiled. "They just made a short stop at the fountain to turn the two nice ninja girls back to normal."

"Okay, now we only have to wait until the professor arrives and..."

Mario was interrupted when somebody knocked against the window. They all looked over and saw an elderly man with huge glasses hovering in front of the window. He was riding on some sort of flying saucer, but it looked remarkably similar to a Parabuzzy, a Buzzy Beetle with wings.

Luigi smiled and opened the window. "Hello, Professor! You really came here as fast as lightning."

"Greetings, everybody!" Professor E. Gadd said while his unusual vehicle came hovering inside. In the middle of the great room, he softly landed and jumped out of the Parabuzzy.

"What's-a that, professor?" Mario wondered.

"Oh, that's a new invention of mine, the Facsimile Buzzy. I designed it to look like a real Parabuzzy, so that its living cousins would be fooled. I made it to study the behavior of Buzzy Beetles and their huge family. But it also is a pretty darn fast vehicle by itself. Now, Luigi told me there was a problem with one of my devices?"

Toad gestured at the table in front of them, where the broken paintbrush was lying. It was still sizzling and giving off sparks.

The professor nearly lost his glasses. "Oh, oh..." he murmured. "Oh my..."

Kasumi nodded. "Yes, that's what I was saying, too."

E. Gadd hopped onto the table and carefully studied the tool. "This was one of my greatest creations, a fusion of magic and technology... I could only make it with the help of a magical piece of rock I once found near the bottom of Shooting Star Summit. By itself, it only gave off chaotic waves of magic that changed nearly anything that came close to it. But using my intellect, I created a device that liquified the rock, turning it into the base for the magical paint the paintbrush is using... thanks to its magical properties, the paint never runs out." He sighed. "I would have never created if if I knew what that rascal Junior was going to do with it... I was shocked when I heard of the mayhem he caused on Isle Delfino. But now..." He shook his head. "I can't imagine how it could have broken. Only a surge of pure, magical power, combined with the burning soul of a living being could make it short-circuit like that. Well, that and a heavy blow from the outside."

Kimmy grimaced. "I was sorta responsible for the heavy blow. And I would have never fired that Bullet Bill if I knew that the princess was behind him..."

"Well, we all know how stubborn Junior can be about his 'Mama Peach'," Luigi grumbled. "But what about the magical power?"

"It must be because of that potion Junior told the princess about..." Toadette murmured. "He said it increased his magical powers... meaning those of the paintbrush."

"Damn, being very powerful always seems to go to people's heads..." Ranma grumbled. He could speak from his own experience. Taro, Herb, Saffron... those were very good examples.

"Can you fix the paintbrush, professor?" Akane asked.

Nabiki frowned. "I don't think that thing can be fixed, sis. It looks even worse than my camera looked, that time you caught me with photos of you and Kuno..."

E. Gadd shook his head. "It will never work again as it did before, even if I repaired the inner circuits. The crash caused a glitch in the brush which caused a very unusual change in the paint. The wielder of the brush won't be able to control its magic anymore. Using this would be too dangerous, it has turned into a chaotic weapon."

"So there's-a no way to change Peachy back to normal?" Mario sighed.

"I didn't say that," the professor exclaimed. "I see two possibilities: Either I can try to create some sort of solvent, which can undo any changes made by the paintbrush. Or I can try to create a new paintbrush, which is tricky, since I never found another rock like that again..."

"Can't we try to find one at the place where the first rock came from?" Ryoga asked.

"Maybe... after researching the paint of the brush, I realized that the magic streaming through it comes from a certain place, high, high above our kingdom, in outer space... and if my theory is correct, we still have a chance to retrieve another one of these rocks."

"But what kind of place is it you are talking about?" Goombario asked.

E. Gadd tilted his head. "I am talking about the Star Road, young Goomba!"

"The... the Star Road...?" Mario gasped in surprise. "You don't-a mean... Geno? We should ask Geno for help?"

"Why not?" Luigi grinned. "I'm sure he'd be glad to see you again. And who knows, maybe he can tell us more about that mysterious rock."

"But if that place is in outer space, how do you plan on getting there?" Nabiki wondered. "Don't tell me you've got a spaceship..."

Ranma snickered. "Maybe Akane can knock you all the way up there with her mallet."

Akane growled. "Ranmaaaa..."

"That is no problem at all," Toad grinned. "We can ask Princess Rosalina from the Comet Observatory. I'm sure she'll think of a way."

"Okeydokey, if she'll help us, I'm-a gonna travel to the Star Road," Mario stated.

"I'm coming with you," Ranma spoke up. "It's a martial artist's duty to help those in need."

"I'm coming too," Akane quickly spoke up. Nabiki raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"Well, I still need a few ingredients for the solvent..." Professor E. Gadd explained. "Luigi, can you maybe bring me a few things?"

"Sure, leave it to me!" Luigi nodded.

"We can help, too!" the two Goombas said at once.

"Fine, I need some melon juice from Yoshi's Island, some Royal Jelly and... the tears of a Boo."

Luigi shuddered. "Boos... why does it always have to be Boos...?" he grumbled.

"Is there anything else we need to do?" Kimmy asked.

Suddenly, somebody else knocked at the window. A big parrot with bright green and red feathers was sitting on the windowsill.

"Squawks?" Mario asked in surprise. "What are you doing here, all the way from Kongo Island?"

"DK sent me," the parrot squawked. "He gave me a message for you... a very urgent message!" And he offered the plumber his right foot, where a rolled up piece of paper was attached.

Mario took the letter and read it quickly.

When he was finished, he put it on the table with a groan. "That's all we need..." he sighed. "King K.Rool and his krew of Kremling pirates are in cahoots with Kamek... and it looks like they are on their way to the Mushroom Kingdom!"


	14. Bowser, meet Irony

"Say one bad thing about my hairstyle again! Come on, I dare you!!"

"Gaaaaah! Retreat!" Shouted the leader of the Lakitu gang as they fled from the cape-wearing brunette that was flying after them. "She's crazy!"

"Come back here and say that to my eyes!" Daisy yelled. "Damned cowards!"

"Daisy, I think that is enough," Peach called from the ground.

Kodachi nodded. "Yes, I have the feeling they got the picture.

Daisy used her cape to soar down to the green hill, on which her friends were waiting. "Oops, sorta got carried away back there. But could you believe the NERVE of those guys? Honestly..."

"I don't think you'll ever have problems with them again," Peach smiled. "Shall we go on?"

"Sure, if you tell us where we must go... you're the one who knows in which direction Bowser's Keep is lying."

"Oh yes, of course, let me think... it's been such a long time since Bowser kidnapped me the last time..."

Junior, who was sitting on her new Mom's shoulders, gestured westwards. "It's that way, Momma!"

"Thank you, dear!" Peach smiled. "Well, shall we?"

While following the Koopa princess, Daisy whispered to Kodachi: "You know, I'm worried that she still treats that brat like her daughter..."

"She never had children before, did she?" Kodachi asked. Daisy shook her head. "Well, it is just a guess, but I believe that little Junior might have stirred some motherly instincts within her. I've read an article about that once... and it said that every woman has motherly instincts."

"Me too?" Daisy wondered. Then she stuck out her tongue. "Yuck! I mean, I like children and all, but I can't imagine being a very good mother..."

"Why not?" Kodachi wondered. "You are a very nice person, and I think that your children would learn much from you."

"They'd learn how to be a great tomboy, you mean..." Daisy muttered. "Believe me, if kids want a good mother, they mean someone like Peach. She's always so gentle. And look at me... always losing my temper! I mean, did you know what I did back when we had a friendly soccer match with Bowser, Mario and the others? Waluigi scored a goal, and I got so mad at my teammates that they nearly got a heart attack..." She sighed. "And it wasn't even their fault to begin with..."

Kodachi thought about it. "Well, I believe myself to be quite skilled in the etiquette of nobility and the proper behavior of a lady... even though I have been slightly demented back with my foster family... But still, if you want, I could teach you to be as mannered and elegant as Peach is."

"You'd do that?" Daisy shouted with glee. "Wow, thank you so much! You really are a great person, Kodachi!"

The black-shelled Koopa girl blushed. She wasn't used to compliments at all. "Um, you're welcome..."

Suddenly, they heard Peach's voice from further ahead: "Hey!"

"Um, we're coming, Peach!" Daisy shouted. They ran to catch up with her... and stopped in surprise when they saw the huge field of angrily snapping flowers that spread in front of them.

Daisy gaped. "I... I've never seen this many Munchers in one place before in my life..."

"You think we could fly across?" Peach asked uncertainly.

"I doubt it..." Daisy murmured. "We are short of flying Power-Ups, and even if we had more, I don't think you'd be able to fly very high while carrying Junior..."

Peach sighed. "Does that mean we have to make a huge detour?"

"Why don't you just use your fire breath to burn those flowers?" Kodachi wondered.

Peach coughed. She almost forgot how little Kodachi knew about the Mushroom World. "Um, Kodachi, Munchers are indestructible."

Kodachi frowned. "But they are plants, aren't they? Why shouldn't they burn?"

"Trust me in this one, Kodachi," Daisy said. "There is NO way to destroy a Muncher. You can't burn them, can't cut them, you can't even pluck them out of the ground."

"Um... well, that is unusual... then how about two of us carry Junior together?"

"And risk her falling down to those Munchers?" Peach gasped. "No way!"

"Wait a minute..." Daisy said. "I believe I just found another way of getting across..." And she gestured to their right, where an unusual scene was taking place.

A trio of three Goombas was sitting in three huge, green-colored boots. They were using them to hop around the scenery, laughing hysterically.

Peach smiled. "Well, what a coincidence... maybe we should ask those gentlemen to lend us their shoes."

Kodachi scratched her head. "Um, why?"

"Watch and learn, girlfriend!" Daisy smirked as she strutted over to the three hopping Goombas. "Excuse me, gentlemen?"

The Goombas stopped their hopping and looked over to the brunette princess in her tight, orange shorts, her yellow tank top that nicely emphasized her breasts, and the cape that billowed behind her in the winds.

Instantly, their eyes turned into hearts. "Whoa, momma!" said on of them. "I think I'm in love..."

Daisy smiled coyly. "Say, my friends and I are kinda lost... so could you three nice boys do us a REAL favor and let us borrow those shoes? Please?"

"Baby, come home with me and I'll lend you ANYTHING!" one Goombas said as he stared at her bosom lecherously.

Daisy grimaced. "No, thank you..."

Kodachi frowned. Those three were almost as bad as Happosai... "Let me take care of this," she said as she walked past Daisy. "Remember , there are times to be polite and demure... and then there are times where it's much better to CLOBBER the male perverts of this world!"

"Ya talking to me, toots?" the Goomba to the left shouted. "Hey, you're quite cute, but I think your friend is hotter, so buzz off!"

"Okay, that's it!" Daisy snarled. "Either you're giving us your boots or I'll give YOU a booting!"

"No way, sweetie pie!" the leader of the trio said. "You know how expensive these things are? There's only one way for you and your girlfriends to earn them... go on dates with me and my friends!"

He winked at her, while his friends continued to stare at her breasts and behind.

"Wrong!" Daisy said. "There's also a third possibility. How about we KICK YOUR ASS to get them?"

"I would hate to hurt you, but you insulted my friends," said Peach as she came up next to them.

"Go get'em, Mama!" Junior cheered from the sidelines.

Two of the Goombas were getting nervous. "Um, boss?" asked the one to the right. "Shouldn't we run?"

"Ah, they're just a bunch of weak girls!" said the leader. "What are you, wusses? Get out there and show them what you're made of!"

Just five minutes later, the three Goombas were lying in the grass, twitching a lot, while the girls climbed into their boots. Their leader was stomped flat.

"Sometimes, it's safer to be a wuss..." groaned one of them.

"Serves you right staring at a woman's boobs without her permission!" Daisy shouted as she got comfortable in her giant jumping boot. "Wow, It's been so long since I used one of them... they have become wa too rare."

"And... we just can use those to get safely across the Munchers?" Kodachi wondered.

"Sure," Peach smiled. "There are only three ways of getting past a field of Munchers: You fly across them, you find a Star or you hop into a Goomba's Shoe. Are you comfortable down there, sweetie!"

"Yes, mama!" Junior said sweetly.

"Okay, get ready to hop, girls!" Daisy shouted as she jumped across the Muncher field.

Kodachi sweatdropped. She would never get used to this world...

It was getting dark when they reached the other side of the Muncher field.

Daisy looked around. "There is no village or town around here, and we'll need a good couple of hours before reaching Bowser's Keep. I say we spend the night out here."

"I've never been camping before," Peach said. "Sounds exciting!" They all climbed out of their Goomba's Shoes and put up camp.

"Peachy, how about a nice, warm campfire?" Daisy asked.

Peach blushed. "Um, I'm not too sure if I can already use my fire breath properly..."

"It's easy, Mama!" Junior said as she crawled up to the sticks of wood Kodachi had piled up next to them. "Just watch!"

The little girl inhaled deeply, but only a few sparks came flying out of her mouth.

"Ooooh no... a misfire," she whined.

Peach chuckled. "Thanks for wanting to help, sweetie. But I think I can give it a try..." She took a deep breath herself... and then spat an impressive flame at the pile of wood.

"Hey, that's enough, or do you want to burn it down to ashes?" Daisy shouted.

Peach stopped exhaling hot flames and blinked in surprise when she saw the campfire in front of her. "I... I really did it?"

"Yay! Mama's the best!" Junior cheered as she hugged the Koopa princess' legs.

"An... impressive display, I must say," Kodachi said approvingly.

Daisy gave her friend the thumbs up. "Peachy, all I say is: You're blazin' hot!"

Later, they were sitting together at the fire and roasted Shroom Mellows, a special kind of mushroom-flavored marshmallows from Toad-Town.

Kodachi sighed. "Does everything around here have to be Mushroom-flavored?"

"I'm sorry," Peach said apologetically. "But it's my favorite flavor..."

"Back at home, we're having spicy soup every Sunday," Junior smiled. "You'll like it, Kodachi!"

Hearing that made Kodachi think about what was waiting for her when they reached their goal. "Peach, say... what is my grandfather like?"

Peach was surprised at the sudden question. "Oh, I... I don't know him as well as Yoshi and Mario know him, but... I know that he has always been a loyal servant to the royal House of Koopa. He helped Bowser reach maturity..."

"As mature as Bowser can be..." Daisy grumbled.

"And he's very clever, too. The first time Mario and Luigi met him, he had kidnapped Luigi. We were all still babies at that time. I don't remember much of it, but Yoshi loves to tell Mario the story... Later on, he helped Bowser kidnapping us and other babies..."

"Meaning, he has always been an evil old man," Daisy grimaced.

Kodachi sighed. "Well, I already had guessed that he wasn't as nice as Mother and Father... but I somehow hoped that I could convince him to stop his evil plans by talking to him. Still, if he's so devoted to Bowser, why would he betray him now?"

Junior sniffed. "Kamek's a bitter old man who can't take that Papa never involves him in any of his plans anymore. He barely even leaves his magical study."

"I see..." Kodachi murmured. "So over time, he developed a grudge against your father..."

"Papa should just kick him out of the castle..." Junior muttered.

Peach stroked the baby girl's hair affectionately. "I'm sure all will be well when we tell him about Kamek's plans."

"Whatever they may be..." Daisy frowned.

----

King Bowser of the Koopas laughed maliciously as he stood in the huge hangar, in front of the huge battleship.

"Behold, my latest masterpiece... is finished!" he roared as he enjoyed the view of the extra-large Klown Kar with the added Bullet Bill Blasters, the bomb slots, the laser cannon...

"We did most of the work and he doesn't even thank us..." grumbled one of the Rocky Wrench engineers that had been working on the vessel.

"Quiet, you ungrateful minion!" Bowser grumbled. "You're getting paid for this, aren't you? So be glad I allowed you to work on this glorious piece of art... with its help, I will be able to kidnap Princess Peach... and this time, for good!"

"You are getting PAID?" whispered one of the mole-turtles to his companions. They all shrugged or shook their heads.

Suddenly, a Koopatrol warrior entered the hangar and saluted in front of his king. "Excuse me, sir..."

"What is it?" Bowser barked. "Can't you see I'm gloating?"

"I beg your pardon, your gloatiness, but there's someone in front of the castle gate... who insists on talking to you."

"Tell him I'm busy... I'm off to kidnap my beloved princess!"

"Once again..." a Rocky Wrench muttered.

"Well, that's just the problem, your kidnappiness," the Koopatrol gulped. "She's waiting for you outside."

Bowser froze. "Who is doing what and where now?" he mumbled.

"It's Princess Peach... I mean, her and two other ladies... they are waiting for you in front of the castle. And they want to talk to you!"

The Koopatrol jumped back in surprise when all of a sudden, his king started to do a dance of joy in front of him.

"Oh happy day, happy day! I knew she'd warm up to me one of these days... come here, you huggable little mole-turtles, I'm SO happy right now!"

"Gwaaaah!" cried the head engineer as he was being squashed to his king's muscular chest. "Heeelllpp... I'm being suffocated!"

Bowser laughed heartily and threw the Rocky Wrench back to his companions. To the Koopatrol, he said: "Hurry and don't keep the lady waiting! What are you waiting for?"

"Well... I think there's something you should know..." the Koopatrol murmured.

"What's that? Speak up, I can't hear you!"

"Um, about Princess Peach... she isn't quite... herself."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really know how to put this, but... she's a Koopa. And a ROYAL Koopa at that."

Bowser blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"It's true, Bowser," a soft voice spoke up from the door.

Bowser looked up and froze when he saw the foursome that came into the hangar. A Hammer Bro was trying to keep up with them. "I'm sorry, sir, but I couldn't keep them out... they INSISTED on being let in, and when I told them to wait... they threw a bomb!"

"Hey, I can't let those new skills I gained after my last transformation go to waste," Daisy smirked.

Peach, Koopa princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, smiled when she walked up to the dazzled king and his stunned minions. In her arms, she was holding a grinning baby girl.

"Hello again, Bowser! I've come to bring back your child."

"Hi Papa!" Junior shouted and waved.

Bowser blinked again. Then he pointed his claw at the princess and his daughter. "Huh? Bwah... but I... uh... what? I mean... guh... you... uh... gah..."

Daisy giggled. "I think you broke his brain."

The Hammer Bro walked up to his king and clicked his fingers several times. "Hello? Your speechlessness? Get a hold of yourself!"

Bowser finally regained his composure. "What is the MEANING of this?" he gasped as he fell down on his butt, that's how shocked he was.

"I'm afraid Junior had a little accident with his paintbrush... and that's how we ended up like this. She seemed so helpless afterwards... I just had to bring her back. And don't worry, Mario's not around."

Junior looked up at her father sheepishly. "Sorry, Papa..."

"Junior?" Bowser mumbled. "You... you're a girl? And Peach... you... you are a... a..."

Peach smiled. "A Koopa... I know."

"But you look so... soooo..."

"Yes?" she asked.

Bowser blushed. "So beautiful..."

Now Peach was blushing as well. "Aw, you flatterer..."

"Pick your jaws up from the ground again, scaly," Daisy snickered.

"Do you think he already noticed that the princess is naked?" one of the Rocky Wrenches whispered to his colleagues.

Kodachi was getting restless, she couldn't wait any longer. "Lord Bowser?" she asked as she stopped forth.

Bowser looked at her, his mind still in a haze. "Um, yes? Do I know you? I can't really keep track with all of my guards..."

"No, my lord!" Kodachi had decided that etiquette was appropriate, since she WAS in the presence of a king. "Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Kodachi Ku..." She stopped herself. "Kodachi Koopa. I am the daughter of Kenny Koopa and Kimmy Koopa."

THAT pulled Bowser out of his bafflement. He angrily furrowed his brows. "Kimmy, the traitor? YOU are the grandchild Kamek told me about? What did that geezer promise you? I don't want you to be part of my army! KAMEK! Where is that old coot?"

"I assure you that I came here on my own... and I ddidn't plan to join your army. But I came here to warn you about my grandfather... he is planning something."

"That's ridiculous!" Bowser barked. "Don't you think I would have noticed such a thing by now?"

"It's true, Papa," Junior spoke up. "I was in his study and... I swallowed one of his potions."

Bowser sighed. "Junior, what did I tell you about playing with magical stuff you know nothing about?"

"Sorry, Papa! But see, this potion increased the magical powers I could use with the paintbrush. I went to bring Mama Peach to you... but then, there was an accident... the paintbrush broke... and we changed into this."

"Well, I hope that's a lesson for you, boy... I mean, girl..." Bowser shook his head. "Man, I'm so confused... but why should Kamek have prepared such a potion, unless?"

"Do you see what I mean?" Kodachi asked. "He is planning to usurp your throne."

"That sneaky, backstabbing bastard!" Bowser roared. "COMMANDER!"

"Y-yes, sir?" the Hammer Brother, who was the commander of Bowser's air fleet, saluted.

"And you to, Lieutenant!" Bowser commanded.

"Your orders?" the Koopatrol asked.

"Rally the guards! Go down to Kamek's laboratory and arrest that old magician! Use whatever troops and weapons necessary, but take him down... and take his wand away from him!"

"Right away, sir!" the two Koopa saluted as they ran off.

Peach frowned. "Aren't you going to help them?" she asked.

"They'll do fine," Bowser grumbled. "After all, that's what I'm paying them for."

"Again I ask: Are you getting paid?" the same Rocky Wrench whispered to his friends.

"I don't believe this," Daisy shook her head. "You risk your soldiers' lives and still don't go yourself? You are the strongest Koopa I know, why are you afraid?"

"I am not afraid!" Bowser roared. "Say that again and I'll lock you into the dungeon!"

"Bowser, stop this at once!" Peach shouted sternly.

"B-b-but Peach..." he stuttered.

"No buts! This attitude is what always gets you into trouble with Mario. Those kidnappings of yours... did you ever get the idea of just ASKING me for a date? I met Shyguys that are more romantic than you! Now, I want you to go with your troops and help them."

Bowser winced. "But... but Kamek's a magician! Who knows what he could turn me into..."

"Right NOW!" Peach shouted and stomped her foot.

"Okay, okay, don't be mad, please! I'll go!"

Daisy whistled. "Man, now THAT he had coming!"

"I will accompany you, Your Lordship!" Kodachi said as she gave the king a short bow.

Bowser smiled. "Your Lordship... sounds good! I really like your style, girl! Maybe there IS a place for you in the Koopa Troop after all of this is over..."

"Um, I'll think about it..." Kodachi murmured, taken aback.

Just then, the door opened up yet again, and a female Koopa with a pink bow entered. "Daddy? What's with all the noise up here?"

She gasped when Peach and Junior turned around. Peach waved. "Oh, hello, Wendy! How nice to see you again? How have you been?"

"Hi, sis!" Junior chirped.

Daisy sighed when she saw the confused expression on the Koopa girl's face. "Before you ask, Junior and Peach got hit by some magic that got out of control and got transformed."

Wendy stared at Peach and Junior with disbelief. Especially at Junior. Then, a huge grin appeared on her face.

"HOORAY!" she shouted as she scooped up the little girl. "I have a younger sister!"

"Gah! Sis! Put me down! Put me down!" Junior protested as she was twirled through the air by her older sibling.

One of the Rocky Wrenches facefaulted. "I said it and I'll say it again: This family is too weird!"


	15. Dinosaur Love

Luigi looked over to his travel companion. "Are you okay up there?"

Kasumi smiled. "Oh yes, it is very pleasant. And Yoshi-kun is so well-behaved..."

The green dinosaur on which saddle she was sitting on blushed upon hearing that. "Y-y-yoshi..." he muttered while looking back at her.

"Oh my, what did he say?" Kasumi wondered.

Luigi scratched his head. "Well, he either wants to thank you... or he said something about-a raining peanuts. I'm not too sure, I can't understand the Yoshi language as good as my bro. But listen, are you sure you want-a to come? I mean, it's-a probably safer back in the castle."

"Oh, I think you two will make sure that nothing will happen to me," Kasumi smiled. "And in case I have to protect myself, Toadette-chan gave me another one of these convenient ?-boxes, filled with items I can use. After all, it was no problem for me to handle the hammers I received when using the Hammer Suit. Besides, I can't wait to see more of your lovely kingdom..."

"Well, I think you'll like Yoshi's Island," Luigi said. Yoshi nodded to that enthusiastically. "I mean, it's warm most of the time, there are beaches as beautiful as on Isle Delfino, and the most delicious fruit are growing there."

"Oh, that's right, we have to bring one of these to the professor, right?"

"Yup!" Luigi nodded. "A melon, to be exact. Yoshi's Island is famous for its delicious melons, and its juice is being used for many drinks all around our world."

Suddenly, Yoshi perked up his head. "Yoshi? Yoshi yoshi!"

"Oh my, Yoshi-kun seems to have scented something. What could it be?"

"Well, there are plenty of wildlife creatures living in these woods, it could be almost anything... I just hope it isn't a rogue Lakitu... they always throw those sharp Spiny Eggs, and those hurt."

Suddenly, a big smile appeared on Yoshi's broad muzzle. "YOSHI!" he shouted with joy. "Yoshi yoshi!"

"Huh? What's with you, old buddy?" Luigi asked.

Yoshi gestured ahead. "Yoshi yoshi!"

"I think he wants to go in that direction," Kasumi assumed.

Luigi shrugged. "Well, we still can reach the coast when going in that direction... so why not?"

And then he had to move his legs to keep up with the energetic Yoshi as he ran through the woods. Kasumi was surprised and held onto his neck, but Yoshi made sure that she wouldn't fall off. Finally, they reached a big lake in the middle of the forest.

And at the lake's shore, they found a pink-colored dinosaur that looked similar to Yoshi, but had a tubular snout, long eyelashes and a red bow upon her head.

Luigi was taken aback. "Birdo?"

Birdo, who just had been looking at the skies dreamily, looked over to them. "Oh, it's you, Yoshi... and the other guy. The green brother... what's his name again?"

The 'green brother' sweatdropped. "It's Luigi..." he muttered.

"Right, Luigi, whatever..." She sighed and looked across the lake.

Kasumi dismounted from Yoshi's back. "Perhaps you'd like to introduce us?" she asked.

"Oh, fine... Kasumi, this is Birdo. Birdo, this is Kasumi."

Kasumi smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Birdo-san!"

"Likewise, likewise..." the pink dinosaur yawned. Then she sighed again.

Luigi scratched his head. "Say, what are you doing here? You're not going to attack us all of a sudden, are you?" He clearly remembered the past times he and his brother met her. The first time when she was still working for Wart... another time, when she was the 'Rookie' of the shadow thief, Popple.

"Not today," Birdo murmured. "Today, I am filled with feelings of love, not hate!"

Luigi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Birdo nodded. "Yes, just imagine, I have just met the man of my dreams... and he loves me back! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yoshi?" Yoshi asked, looking a bit sad. He looked down at his feet. "Yoshi..."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Kasumi beamed. "Say, who is it?"

"Oh, he's adorable! He's smaller than me and has a cute tuft of white hair. He can also fight, so he's a real man! But at the same time, so gentle when he hugged me..."

"How nice!" Kasumi smiled. "Did he tell you his name?"

"Well... I heard how his travel companion said it... I think he'S called 'Happosai'." She smiled. "Isn't that a cute name?"

Kasumi blinked. "Oh... oh my! Are you certain it was Happosai? I mean, Grandfather Happosai is always nice to me, but..." She hesitated, wondering if she should tell the love-sick dinosaur about Happosai's reputation back in Nerima. "Are you sure he is the one for you?"

"Definitely!" Birdo gushed. "We were meant for each other!"

"Y-Yoshi!" Yoshi shouted out and all of a sudden, he turned around and ran away.

"Yoshi!" Luigi shouted after him. "What's the matter, where are you going? Ooooh, mamma mia... Kasumi, I think we should go after him."

"Oh, I hope it wasn't anything I said..." Kasumi murmured. She politely bowed to Birdo. "It was nice meeting you, Birdo-san! But we must hurry after our friend."

Birdo smirked. "Oh yes, that Yoshi... he's always so shy every time I meet him. It's almost cute..."

"See ya later, Birdo!" Luigi shouted when he and Kasumi hurried after their green dinosaur friend.

And Birdo continued to gaze into the sky. "Sigh... ooooh, Happosai... whenever will I see you again?"

"What is wrong with Yoshi-kun?" Kasumi wondered. "He seemed sad all of a sudden."

"Well, that's-a because he is in love with Birdo."

That surprised Kasumi. "Really? He is? Oh dear... now I understand. He must feel so sad right now... doesn't she know about his feelings?"

"Not at all, I'm afraid," Luigi sighed. "She sees herself as his friend, nothing more. Yoshi has always hoped that Birdo would one day notice his feelings, that's why he always asks her to be his partner at Tennis, or at the Double Dash races... but she seems clueless. And Birdo... she's known for having a new crush every month. She can't ever decide on a boyfriend... and I doubt she really has loved anyone she wen after."

"Poor thing..." Kasumi murmured. "She wants nothing but to be loved, while at the same time, driving off the one who is in love with her, even if unintentionally..."

"The problem is that Birdo is so easily influenced, and she tends to get into trouble when the one she has a crush on is a crook. You don't know how often we had to fight her because of that..."

They caught up with Yoshi at the edge of the forest. He was sitting near a cliff and looked out at the sea.

"Yoshi, is everything all right?" Luigi asked him.

Yoshi sighed, then he nodded. "Yoshi..." he muttered sadly.

Kasumi petted his head. "Don't worry, it will all work out in the end, you'll see."

Yoshi looked up at her skeptically. He wasn't quite convinced.

"Say, Yoshi-kun... I just had a great idea! After we have returned from the island, I will help you pick a few flowers for Birdo, and then you'll go to her and ask her for a date. She will come to realize how much you like her."

"Yoshi?" Yoshi looked hopeful, but then, he looked down again. "Yoshi..." He shook his head. That would never work out. Not if Birdo still acts like that...

"Well, we can take care of that later," Luigi insisted. "Maybe we should just concentrate on our mission. We still have to find a melon for the professor. Yoshi, can you call your friend?"

Yoshi nodded. "Yoshi!" He stood up and whistled.

Shortly afterwards, they heard the flapping of wings. Kasumi watched in awe as another Yoshi came flying across the water. But this one was colored a deep blue and had huge, feathered wings.

The blue Yoshi landed next to them. It was holding a blue Koopa shell. "Yoshi yoshi!" it shouted.

"Yoshi yoshi!" its green friend replied and they rubbed their noses.

"Kasumi, this is Cyan," Luigi introduced her. "She's one of Yoshi's nest siblings... which means, they hatched in the same nest, although they had different parents."

"Oh, you have so many friends!" Kasumi smiled and waved to Cyan. Cyan waved back politely. "So... do certain Yoshi have wings?" she asked.

"Only if they eat a blue Koopa shell or equip Para-Wings," Luigi explained. "Cyan, as a blue Yoshi, is a natural flyer. She also brought a blue shell so Yoshi can fly across the ocean as well."

"Ah, I see, so they can carry us over to Yoshi's Island," Kasumi nodded. "What an interesting way to travel!"

"Isn't it?" Luigi smiled. Yoshi and Cyan nodded in agreement. Cyan then crouched down and let Kasumi sit up on her own saddle, while Luigi jumped on Yoshi's back. The two Yoshis then flapped their wings and flew towards the island they were born on: Yoshi's Island!

----

The shack was filled with all sorts of notes and paper sheets, a huge blackboard and several strange pieces of machinery. The door was locked, since the owner of this little hut wasn't home right now.

In one corner, a huge painting was standing. It showed the image of a big Boo with a crown.

A white-spherical shape then came hovering through the leftmost wall. The female Boo looked around the hut until she found the keys hanging from a hook on the wall. She took the keys and opened the door.

Happosai came in. "Thanks! I could have blasted this door by myself, but if you are speaking the truth, we don't want to damage that painting over there."

Boonita followed his gaze and saw King Boo's painting as well. "My king!" she shouted and hovered over to the painting. "We have to free him! Oh, where's that machine...?"

"Is it that, over there?" Happosai asked and gestured at a huge machine that stood at the northern side of the hut.

"Y-yes, that's it!" Boonita nodded. She hovered over to the main button. "Quick, you have to put his painting into that contraption over there!"

"Fine fine, I'll do it," Happosai mumbled. "I just hope your king is as grateful as you told me..."

"I'm sure of it," Boonita nodded. "I won't be surprised if he even declares you a honorary Boo."

"Um... that sounds... very enticing..." Happosai sweatdropped. He then put the painting into place, and Boonita activated the machine.

Happosai winced when he saw how the machine was pounding, spinning and shocking the painting. "Doesn't that hurt?" he asked.

Boonita shuddered. "You have no idea..." she muttered. She had been portrifiated before in her ghostly life, and it hadn't been a pleasant experience...

Finally, the painting vanished inside a huge, metal box, and steam was coming out of a grate. Happosai leaned in closer to have a better look. "And now?"

He jumped back in surprise when all of a sudden, the ghastly shape of King Boo came popping out of the grate. "NOW YOU COVER IN FRONT OF ME, MORTAL!" he shouted. "BLEH HEH HEH HEH HEEEEEH!"

Happosai frowned at the ghost king. "Oh yes, he has a pretty big ego, that's for sure..."

----

Wario and Waluigi struggled against the chains that were bounding their bodies together.

"Lemme go, lemme go, I'm gonna pinch you for that!" Waluigi yelled.

"That's it!" Wario growled at the kindergarten ninjas who were standing in front of him, back in their human form. "No salary for you for the rest of the year!"

"Cool it, garlic breath!" Ukyo snapped. She and Shampoo had carried the Wario Brothers all the way from the dungeon to the main plaza in Toad-Town. "You can be lucky that we just don't let you rot in those cells!"

"What you do to them?" Shampoo asked curiously.

Kat smirked and raised a cell phone. "I just called the only person Wario will ever listen to, she'll make sure he behaves. She should arrive here any time... by the way, thanks for helping us! If it weren't for you guys, the two of us would still be growing in the middle of the forest."

"Ah, it was nothing," Ukyo smiled. "If we knew that all it took to turn you back was some water, we'd have tried that as soon as we met you."

"Yeah, but then Shampoo could have never used too too hot fireballs," the amazon giggled.

"That reminds me..." Ana said and reached for her pocket. "We bought something for you while you were busy bringing the Warios here. We want you to have it as a present."

"Aww, that's sweet of you, but we would have done it either way, sugar!" Ukyo said.

"Well, then just take it as a token of our friendship," Kat smiled while her sister gave Ukyo and Shampoo the Power-Ups they had bought at the shop.

Shampoo blinked. "A flower?"

"And a mushroom?" Ukyo wondered.

"A Fire Flower and a Volt Mushroom," Ana explained. "Using them will give you the same abilities you gained back when we were still transformed."

"Yay, that means Shampoo can still throw fireballs!" Shampoo squealed as she took the flower from the orange-haired twin. Ukyo also accepted her gift with gratitude.

Just then, Kimmy Koopa and her son arrived. Ryoga had a wide grin on his face.

"Well, aren't you a happy-looking turtle, sugar!" Ukyo teased.

"Well, yeah, it's just..." Ryoga blushed in embarrassment.

Kimmy smirked. "What my dumbfounded son wants to say is that he managed to visit three different stores in town without getting lost even once."

"Really?" Ukyo wondered. "That's amazing!"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without our new family pet," Ryoga smirked and stepped aside, revealing the tiny form of Scrunch the Tchomp. Scrunch barked happily.

"The little guy is the best guide an eternally lost boy like me can imagine," Ryoga smiled and petted the Tchomp's head. Scrunch crooned blissfully as he rubbed his head against his new master's hand.

"Well then, are you ready to go?" Kimmy asked. "I've just read the Toad-Town News, and the situation at the northern coast looks really grim. K.Rool and his krew are ransacking all of the villages along the coast... and every time they plundered one of them, they asked the villagers for a young boy with a spotted bandana."

Ryoga growled. "If they want to meet me that badly, I will gladly grant that wish..."

"Just let us wait until Kat and Anas friend arrives, so we can be sure that those two bullies don't escape... yet again!" Ukyo said.

"Aw, we could handle them by ourselves," Kat grinned.

"Oh, I think she's here already!" Ana said and looked down the street, where the Toads of town had to jump aside to make way for a yellow taxi that was driving towards the main plaza.

"Very unusual to see a car in this town," Kimmy remarked.

"But necessary," Kat said. "That's our ride for the Wario Brothers."

The taxi stopped next to them, and a huge bulldog leaned out of the driver's window. "You called for a cab?" he grinned and winked at the ninja twins. His partner, a yellow cat with goggles on his forehead, waved from inside the taxi.

"Hi Dribble, hi Spitz!" Ana said. "Did Mona come as well?"

"I sure did," said a cute girl with long, red hair as she got out of the taxi's rear door. "Hi girls! I came here as fast as I could. Dribble and Spitz were nice enough to bring me here. This will bringing them back to Diamond City much easier than if I had just used my scooter.

Wario's eyes turned into little hearts. "Mona!" he shouted. "You came for me?"

"Indeed I did, and you're in a heap of trouble, mister!" the redhead angrily scolded as she came towards him. "What did he do this time? Steal money? Make rude gestures?"

"All of that and even more," Kimmy chuckled. "But we won't bore you with the details. Are you sure you can take care of them?"

"Leave that to me!" Mona grinned. "Okay, Wario, let's go back home and leave the nice people alone, okay?"

"Everything you say, my darling..." Wario muttered dreamily.

"You are disgusting," Waluigi spat. "That woman has made you insane... just look at you! You're nothing but a lovesick fool!"

"Be quiet, brother!" Wario grumbled. "You don't know anything about the power of love..."

"Wow, he didn't even protest once," Ryoga said.

"Well, there are three things in life Wario loves and would do anything for: Money, garlic... and Mona!"

"That about sums it up," Mona nodded. "Okay, into the taxi with you, boys!"

"Everything you say, Mona..." Wario mumbled, while Waluigi made a face as if he was going to puke.

"But don't make a mess back there, okay?" Dribble barked. "The last time I had to transport you, I had to clean the whole taxi afterwards because it reeked of garlic."

Mona climbed in after the two Wario Brothers. "You want a lift?" she asked the ninja sisters.

"No thanks, we prefer to travel on foot," Kat told her. "It's good training!"

"Aw, I knew you'd say that, sister..." Ana groaned.

"Bye everyone!" Mona shouted and closed the door. Dribble turned his taxi around and drove off, once again making sure not to run over a few innocent Toads.

"Well, we have to go as well," Kat said. "I think Mona has everything under control, but I want to make sure that this time, they really reach Diamond City."

"Farewell, friends!" Ana shouted, waving to Ukyo and Shampoo. "I hope to see you again some day."

"Yeah, me too!" Ukyo nodded and waved back. "Take care, you two!"

"Bye bye!" Shampoo shouted. And then, the two kindergarten ninjas ran off.

Ryoga whistled. "Man, I wish I could run this fast... how are we gonna go to the pirates, anyway? On foot, like those two?"

Kimmy shook her head. "No, we will go there by blimp," she told her son. "There's a new blimp station in town... I already bought the tickets. The next blimp will arrive in about ten minutes. It will bring us to the next big town that the pirates should come across, if they stay on their current route.

"And what's that town called?" Ukyo asked.

Kimmy handed them their tickets before responding: "It's called Rogueport!"

----

"We're-a almost there!" Mario said and gestured to the high mountain in the backlands of Toad-Town. "Shooting Star Summit is the highest point of the Mushroom Kingdom, and famous for its shooting stars - hence the name!"

"I have a question," Ranma spoke up as he and Akane followed the portly plumber across a small bridge leading over a tiny river. "We've come all this way, and I won't back out now, but... you never told us just HOW exactly we're going into outer space."

"Well, how do people normally get into outer space, Ranma?" Akane asked sarcastically. "Obviously with a spaceship or a rocket."

"No, that's not quite correct," Mario shook his head. "We're gonna use a cannon."

Akane nodded. "Ah..."

Then she froze. "A... a cannon?"

"Huh? I take it that's not how you normally go into outer space, eh?" Ranma asked.

"OF COURSE not!" Akane shouted. "I can't believe this... how is that even supposed to work?"

"Pretty simple," Mario said. "I called a few of my Bob-omb friends and they brought one of their foldable cannons. Using it, they are gonna shoot us up into outer space."

"But... but what about the atmosphere?" Akane stuttered. "And the air... we'll need air! We can't breathe in outer space."

Mario blinked. Then he grinned. "Sure we can!"

"No, we CAN'T!" Akane protested. "I know as much about astrophysics. We need spacesuits!"

"Trust me, Akane, we won't need them," Mario smiled. He made a wide gesture towards the sky. "I'm-a not a specialist, but the Mushroom Planet is different from Earth. The air pressure in outer space is not much different, we can breathe, the only thing that's different is gravity, since we won't be on a planet anymore."

"Oh, now THAT'S a relief to hear!" Akane grumbled. "So we won't freeze or suffocate to death, we'll just drift endlessly through space..."

Mario shook his head. "Nope, the next body floating up there will attract us. Any sort of large body floating in outer space attracts smaller bodies, at least living ones. As soon as we get near an asteroid or planetoid, we'll fall to its surface. The only thing we have to take care of are the black holes."

"Black... black holes?" Akane murmured.

"Oh, those are the things that act like giant vacuum cleaners, right?" Ranma asked.

"Well... kinda," Mario replied. "The difference is that there won't be anybody who opens the vacuum cleaner bag. You fall in there and you're lost - forever!" Then he smirked. "Except, of course, you still have an extra life left."

Akane rolled her eyes. "An extra life, oh sure! Why didn't I think of that? Silly me..."

Mario chuckled. Akane kinda reminded him of himself, when he came to the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time. He hadn't been able to remember his fantastic adventures back when he was a baby and had a hard time to learn everything about mushrooms, Fire Flowers and stars. But Akane would adapt, just like he and his brother did.

Ranma, on the other hand, seemed much more open for all kinds of experiences. He was determined in his ways, sure, but he also had some sort of almost childlike innocence, just like Luigi...

Mario sighed. Sometimes, he wished his brother would be as brave as Ranma was...

They had reached Shooting Star Summit by now, and Akane and Ranma were amazed at the multi-colored stars that were lying all around its base. And maybe also at the stars that were constantly falling down from the sky...

"Well, what do you say?" he asked.

"I... I can't believe it!" Akane gasped. "It's raining stars... literally!"

Ranma picked up a small star piece lying on the ground and grinned. "Never thought I'd see a shooting star this closely. And what now?"

"We get up there," Mario replied and pointed up to the summit.

"No problem," Ranma said. "How about a race?"

"Sounds good to me," Mario nodded. "One..."

Ranma smirked. "Two..."

"Hey!" Akane shouted. "How about asking me first?"

"THREE!" And then, the martial artist and the plumber jumped up the mountain, with leaps that made Akane green with envy.

She tried to follow them as good as she could. "Some time, Ranma..." she grumbled. "Some time I'm gonna be just as good as you are, just you wait..."

Ranma reached the top of the mountain just before Mario. "I won!" he grinned.

Mario landed next to him and panted. "Well... that was a workout... you are really going strong, Ranma."

"Thanks," Ranma said. Then he looked to the huge cannon standing in the middle of the summit. A couple of walking, talking bombs were walking around, working on the cannon or talking with each other.

A pink Bob-omb with a fuse that looked like a pigtail, and a white Bob-omb with a huge mustache and an army hat were walking up to them.

"Mario!" the pink bomb said cheerfully. "Long time no see!"

"Hey there, Bombette!" Mario smiled. "And General White? I didn't know you'd come in person."

The general laughed heartily. "I wouldn't miss this for anything!" he proclaimed. "And you know how these little bombs are, they need an old veteran like me to make sure that the cannon's working fine."

"Hey, I could have handled this just fine," Bombette said in a slightly offended tone of voice. "We Bob-ombs from Koopa Village might not be professionals like you Northmen from Fahr Outpost, but we still know enough about cannons to handle this."

"I didn't mean to criticize you, girl!" the general chuckled. "It's just that my men work much more efficiently when knowing that I am around... ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MEN?" he yelled.

"SIR, YES, SIR!" the Bob-ombs from Fahr Outpost shouted back.

Ranma whistled. "Wow, good to know that our flight will be controlled by a crew of competent professionals."

Akane stared at her fiance with disbelief. "Ranma, we are being shot into outer space with a huge cannon!" she blurted out. "Aren't you in the least worried?"

Ranma shrugged. "Naw, not really! I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

General White looked upon a sheet of paper. "Well, according to our calculations, the worst thing that could happen is that an unpredictable comet will intercept your flight path and hurl you into a black hole..."

"WHAT?" Akane screamed. "Marioooo!"

The general, Mario and Bombette laughed. "That was just a joke, my dear!" the general then snickered. "I can assure you that in ten years, we didn't have any accidents."

"Yeah, just leave it to us," Bombette nodded. "We'll do the blasting and you'll do the landing. No problem, right?"

Akane was seeing quite a few problems, but decided not to say anything else.

A blue Bob-omb came walking towards them. "Sir," he stood at attention in front of the general. "At your order, we prepared the cannon for shooting! The passengers can climb aboard anytime, sir!"

"Well done, soldier!" General White nodded. "Back to work!"

"Sir!" The blue Bob-omb hurried back to his post.

"Well then, it seems like everything is ready," Bombette smiled. "Boy, this is so exciting... well, who's going first?"

Ranma grinned. "How about you, Akane?"

Akane looked back and forth from her fiance to the cannon. "What? Me? Why me?"

"Well, you were so anxious to come with me when I said I wanted to go into outer space, I don't want to spoil your fun..."

"That was back when I didn't know that we'd be shot up there in a CANNON!" Akane shouted. "I... I think I changed my mind. I'll go back to Toadsworth and Nabiki and..."

"Come now, missy!" the general smirked. "Our cannon's perfectly safe, no need to worry!"

"Besides, you're the most slender of us, so you have the best chance of success," Mario added.

"Even if you have thighs like a brick..." Ranma murmured.

Mario walked up to her and took her arm. "We have no time to lose, Akane. You want to help Peach, right?"

"No chickening out now, Akane!" Ranma grinned and took her other arm. "I thought you always told me how strong and brave you were..."

"I AM brave!" Akane snapped. "I'm just not weary of life... nooo, lemme go, I don't wanna!" She struggled against the grip of Mario and Ranma.

Ranma smirked at Mario. "One..."

"Two..."

"RANMAAAAA! Don't you dare!"

"THREE!" And the two men threw the protesting girl into the cannon.

"She's in," General White shouted. "Start with the countdown!"

Akane nervously scrambled around inside the cannon. She was getting very nervous now. "Where... where's the exit?" she murmured. She saw the cannon's muzzle above her.

"Ten... nine... eight... seven..."

"NO! I don't wanna die!" Akane screamed and tried climbing up to the muzzle. But the inside of the cannon was just too slick, and she slid back down.

"Six... five... four... three..."

Akane closed her eyes and hoped for the best. "I hope it's painless..." she winced.

"Two... one... FIRE!"

And with a loud boom, Akane got shot out of the cannon as a living cannonball.

"Whoah!" Ranma shouted as he watched how his fiancee was flying towards the stars. "I've never seen Akane move as fast as this before..."

Bombette followed Akane's flight path with a telescope. She then smirked. "Everything's fine, your friend landed on a desolate asteroid, close to where the observatory will pass by."

"Okeydokey, you're the next, Ranma!" Mario said.

Ranma gave him the thumbs up. "No problem!"


	16. Role Reversal

"MASTER! MASTER!"

The door flew open when one of Kamek's Toadie minions came flying inside. Kamek nearly fell off his chair.

"What the... what's the big idea, you clumsy oaf?" he yelled. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I-I'm sorry, Master!" stuttered the bulky Toadie. He was a distant cousin of Igor and was called Bob. "But it's King Bowser..."

"What about him?"

Bob gulped. "He... he's coming down here, Master! Together with a big group of his soldiers... and it looks like he's in a pretty bad mood!"

Kamek sighed. "Did he find out already? Damn, this is too soon... I still need the bandana. Where are the other Toadies?"

"As soon as they heard that the king was coming, they all fled... they are good spies, but poor soldiers."

"Cowards..." Kamek grumbled. "Oh well, I guess they wouldn't have made a big difference... I just have to put my potion to the first test..."

"B-but Master... didn't you say it was just half-finished? Everything could happen!"

"I know what I have to do. Instead of giving me pitiful advice, you should rather escape yourself... meet with Igor and the others in the abandoned steeple in the dark woods, next to Twilight Trail. I always considered it as a second base of operation..."

"Yes, Master! And what about you?"

Kamek carefully poured some of his potion into a test tube and grinned. "I will take care of these fools by myself... Bowser will rue the day he tried to stand up against the Master of all Magics! Now go!"

Bob nodded nervously and flew back out of the door, before Bowser an his troops were arriving.

Kamek pulled out his wand and turned his cauldron, together with the rest of the potion, into a small, two-dimensional picture. He grinned. "Only I will be able to turn this back to normal..." he chuckled.

He then took the test-tube he had filled with a dose of the bubbling potion and eyed it with a critical eye. "This is way too soon..." he mumbled. "It could have all kinds of side-effects... but Bowse is giving me no choice." He sighed. "Well, cheers!" And he emptied the test tube with one single gulp.

Several minutes later, the door flew open, and a big squadron of Bowser's Hammer Bros, Koopatrols and more loyal Magikoopas was storming the laboratory. Behind them, the towering form of the Koopa King himself appeared.

"KAMEK!" he roared. "For treason against the royal house of Koopa, you are under arrest!"

The aged wizard cackled as he turned around to face his king. "Heheheheheh... oh, I beg to differ, Bowser... from this day on, I will make your life a living hell!"

The Koopatrols that were standing in the front line gasped in surprise. "Is... is this a normal shade of color for a wizard?" one of them wondered.

Bowser blinked. "What did the old coot do to himself this time?" he grumbled.

Kamek snickered as he floated above the floor. His scales had taken on a dark, shady hue of purple, while his eyes were glowing bright red. "Just a few side-effects I can live with..." he cackled. "But the amount of magic running through my body is incredible... you will never get me, you brat of a king!"

"How dare you, you ungrateful wizard?" Bowser roared. "After everything I did to you? I treated you like a father!"

"You abandoned me," Kamek hissed while slowly floating to the ceiling. "You let me rot in this lab while preferring to take the advice of my wrinkled hag of a sister... but not anymore! NOW I AM IN CHARGE!"

"You'll be in charge in prison!" Bowser growled. "Koopa Troop... attack!!"

"Be careful, my lord!" warned a female Parakoopa with a black shell that was standing close to him. "We don't know how much his magical powers have increased."

"Don't underestimate the vigor of the Koopa Troop!" Bowser laughed. "My men have dealt with more dangerous foes than this crumpled coot!"

"Yes, like the Mario Brothers, for instance..." muttered a Hammer Bro, but he still feared his king's wrath and, together with his men, started to throw his hammers. The Magikoopas launched their attack spells and the Koopatrols charged at Kamek.

Kamek grinned. "You will regret this..." he murmured. A dark purple aura appeared around his body while he waved around his hand and muttered a few magical words. He held out the palm of his left hand, and a wave of dark energy swept across the charging soldiers. In a matter of seconds, all that was left from the Koopatrols was a multitude of small, potted cacti with eyes.

"What happened?" one cactus squeaked in a high-pitched voice.

"I can't move," another one complained.

Kamek's evil grin widened when he let his magic fly again, this time targeting the Hammer Bros and Magikoopas. The wizards turned into talking brooms, while the Hammer Bros got transformed into little butterflies with tiny helmets.

"We can't fight like this," a broom shouted.

"I... can't even... lift my hammer..." a butterfly panted while trying to pick up his heavy weapon.

Kamek laughed as he hovered across the room until he was floating in front of the fuming king. He and the Koopa girl he had talked to earlier were the only remaining parts of his little troop.

"What now, great King Bowser?" Kamek chuckled. "Not so mighty without your army anymore, huh? How about you let me go... and I will let you live for today!"

"You slimy little worm!" Bowser roared. "I'm gonna roast you until you scream like a woman!" And he spat a huge plume of fire at his former advisor.

Kodachi gasped. "No, stop!" But the king of the Koopas didn't listen.

One wave of his wand, and Kamek was shielded by a protective barrier. "Is that all you got?" he murmured in an annoyed tone of voice. "How dull... these fire tricks are getting boring pretty quickly, your dullness!" He smirked. "But what did you just say? I'm gonna scream like a woman? That gives me an idea... how about I'll make sure that the only thing you will be good for is doing a woman's job?"

Kodachi tried to stop the old wizard, but it was too late: Bowser was zapped by another magical spell and transformed... but into what?

Bowser blinked in confusion. Then the Koopa King looked down... and saw a pair of protrusions that hadn't been there before.

"What... what did you do to me?" Bowser gasped in a high soprano voice.

Kamek laughed. "You look good, my king... or should I say 'queen'?"

Kodachi couldn't believe her eyes. In place of the massive, colossal form of the Koopa King, there was now a slender human woman, looking surprisingly similar to Princess Peach, only did she have blazing red hair, wore a dress that was green instead of pink, and was even more well-endowed than Peach.

Bowser glared at the wizard and tried to look intimidating... but failed miserably. "Turn me back this instant, you heartless old coot!"

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Kamek mocked. "After all these times you tried to kidnap Princess Peach, I thought you would be happy to finally have a princess in your castle - and you can do with her whatever you want!"

"But I didn't want ME to be that princess!" the angry redhead yelled. "Turn me back!" And she ran at the hovering form of Kamek, intent on hitting him with a powerful punch.

Her slender fist hit the wizard's blue robes... but it didn't do anything. Confused, the transformed Koopa stared down at her hand. "What... what did you do to me?"

Kamek snickered. "Do you now see that you aren't a threat to me anymore? You are as weak as a dainty princess now, 'Bowsie'. Accept the facts, you won't threaten anyone anymore with your current form." He laughed. "Keep your castle and your idiotic minions, I will build up an empire on my own... and I won't need you!"

"You evil wizard!" Kodachi shouted. She couldn't believe the cruelty of that man. "I wanted to talk to you, but what I've seen is enough... there is no reasoning with a man as wicked as you. Family or not, I will put an end to your evil ways!"

Kamek blinked in confusion. "Family? What are you talking about?" Then he saw into her eyes. "Those eyes..." he murmured. "That black shell... you look so much like my rebellious daughter... can it be? Is it really you?"

"I am Kodachi Koopa," the daughter of Kimmy proclaimed. "And I've come to stop you... and to reclaim my rose, by the way!"

Kamek smiled. "Your rose has been sacrificed for something grand, my dear child! I never thought this would be the way I could meet one of you for the first time... how is your brother faring?"

"Don't change the subject!" Kodachi shouted. "And don't even think about transforming me with that wand... I can change myself back in an instant by using the magical powers of Whonkia!"

"Of Whonkia, you say?" Kamek murmured. "Now, that is surprising... but don't worry, I don't want to harm you. All I want to ask you is to join me."

"To... join you?" Kodachi asked with disbelief.

Kamek nodded. "Yes, indeed! Think about it: You seem to be a formidable fighter now, or else you wouldn't have made it into Bowser's army. If you want, I can also teach you everything about magic... you can become my apprentice? How about it? Together, we can rule over the Mushroom Kingdom, as one family!"

Kodachi thought back to her life in Nerima... how she had put herself above everyone else because she thought that being of noble birth made her something better. But she now realized that she never would want to become like her grandfather.

"Never," she simply replied.

Kamek frowned. "How very unfortunate. I won't give you a second chance, girl! Accept my proposal or be my enemy for a lifetime!"

"I won't betray my... my true mother!" Kodachi shouted. There, she said it. She could finally accept her true parents and her heritage. She was a Koopa... and proud of it.

Kamek glowered at her. "Fine!" he spat. "If you won't accept me... maybe your brother will. See you in hell!"

And in a flash of purple light, he vanished.

Kodachi sighed. Well, this didn't went according to plan... Well, there never really was a plan. She looked around the transformed forms of the Koopas and felt pity. She would need something more than just water to turn those victims back to normal.

Speaking about victims... she also felt pity when she saw the cute girl in the green dress, who sat on the stairs leading to the exit door, staring down at her frail little body.

"I'm weak..." Princess Bowsie whispered. "I'm weak and powerless... and I'm a girl!" She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "I thought that Peach would like me better, now that she looked like me... and now we are complete opposites again! Why? Why is life so unfair?"

A tiny butterfly sat down on her yellow, with tiny turtle shells decorated crown. "Aw, don't cry, Your Mournfulness! At least you're not a small insect..."

----

"Well, here we are!" Kimmy said as she got out of the Cheep-Cheep-shaped blimp. "The City of Rogueport - the most run-down, filthy nest of bandits and similar scum in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Ryoga, Shampoo and Ukyo looked at the shabby houses and dirty streets with scepticism. "And this is where we plan on finding help against the pirates?" Ukyo asked.

"That's right!" Kimmy nodded.

Ryoga shook his head. "Sorry, Mom, but... I can't quite follow you. Do you say we are asking some goons for help in the battle against other goons? I mean, take a look at this city! Why hasn't anyone done anything against it up until now?"

"Pig-boy right," Shampoo nodded. "Oops, that's turtle-boy now, right?" She wrinkled her nose. "Streets smell worse than great-grandmother's tea recipes..."

"Or Akane's cooking," Ukyo nodded. "Who are these guys we are supposed to meet here?"

Just then, a commotion had started in the middle of the town square (which was decorated with a noose). A group of burly guys in black jackets, with little palm trees growing on their heads, were beating up a smaller group of masked Bandits and beak-faced birdmen.

"Didn't we tell you to stay out of our district?" one of the palm-heads barked. "I thought we made our last message loud and clear."

"And just so you don't forget, we'll have to repeat the message!" grumbled one of his friends as he smacked his fist into one of the birdmen's face.

Ryoga immediately wanted to storm up to them, but Kimmy held him back. "No, Ryoga! That doesn't concern us."

The Piantas dropped their battered opponents to the ground and smirked as they left the scene. "And tell Ishnail to never send any of his boys over again... the boss doesn't like it when you scum show your faces where they don't belong."

"Why did you stop me, Mom?" Ryoga wondered. "Did you see what they just did to them?"

"Ryoga's right, those guys need to be taught a lesson..." Ukyo grumbled.

"I'm afraid not," Kimmy sighed. "Because these nice Piantas are our allies."

Kimmy and the Nerimians went over to the West Side of town, which wasn't as shabby and run-down as the rest of town. There was even a nice park, and a casino.

They entered the Item Shop, where a Boo girl greeted them.

"What are we doing here, Mom?" Ryoga wondered. "Don't we have anything better to do than going shopping?"

Kimmy didn't reply as she looked over the wares. She then took a Dried Shroom and put in on the counter.

"You're buying that old thing?" Ryoga blurted out.

"Trust me in this, son!" Kimmy winked.

"Will that be all?" the Boo clerk asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot this," Kimmy said and took a Dizzy Dial from its shelf, a blue spiral that was usually used to confuse your enemies.

The ghost girl looked at the items curiously. "Excuse me..." she said. "But what is your favorite color?"

"Yellow!" Kimmy replied at once.

"Ah, I see," the Boo nodded. "You know the secret code. That means you are here for a meeting with the boss. Wait a minute, I'll open the back door..."

While Peeka, the Boo, opened the door, Ryoga blinked and asked his mother: "You knew this would happen?"

"Of course!" Kimmy said. "According to Mario, this is the only way to meet the boss of the Pianta Syndicate."

"Ah... and how does he know?" Ukyo asked.

"He met him before," Kimmy explained and walked through the door.

A pair of gruff-looking Piantas were glaring at them when they entered the room. "You better have a good reason to bother the boss!" one of them said.

"Hey, let them through, boys!" a voice behind them said. "If they know the code and want to see me, I'd like to hear their reason."

The goons stepped back and let Kimmy and the others walk up to the desk, behind which a blue-skinned Pianta with a white suit was standing. Next to him, a Pianta girl in a white dress was standing.

"I am Frankie, head of the Syndicate," he said. "What business do you have with me?"

Kimmy stepped forth. "Mario sent us," she explained. "He..."

"Mario?" the Pianta girl asked with a smile. "How's he doing? I remember how he helped my honey and me to retrieve our rings..."

"Francesca, honey, that's not important now," Frankie said. "So Mario sent you. And what do you want?"

"Since we know that you are pretty much the leading force in this town, we came to warn you. The Kremling Krew from Crocodile Island lead by Kaptain K.Rool are sailing along the coast and are ransacking every town and village they come across. It's just a matter of days until they are here, maybe even only hours."

"The Kremlings?" Francesca wondered. "Whatever would they want from a town like ours? We never have business in the waters they sail in."

"They... are looking for someone," Kimmy said, eyeing her son nervously. "And they won't stop until they have found that person."

"No need to worry, boss!" said one of the goons. "When they come here, we'll clobber them until they wish they had never left their little island."

"The Kremlings are a dangerous bunch, Rocko!" Frankie frowned. "And from what I heard, their krew is too big for us to handle. "Maybe we should inform Ishnail's gang as well..."

"Ishnail?" the other goon gasped. "Are you kidding? Just today, we caught another bunch of his men as they snuck into one of our warehouses. He would never help us."

"I always told you we should try to work together with Ishnail's gang," Francesca frowned. "Now the whole town is in danger and we could need his help."

"I doubt he would want to help us, even if we had stopped throwing his men out of our district..." Frankie muttered. "Still, there is someone else who could help us..."

"Why are you telling us that anyways?" Francesca asked.

"Because we want to stop the pirates from pillaging another town," Kimmy said. "And Mario, as well as Princess Peach, have faith that you would help them. After all, you are in Mario's debt."

"Well, that's true..." Frankie nodded. "And I don't like the idea of our town to be pilfered just like that either. Okay, you have convinced me. Vinny, you will contact Swindell. I trust him enough to know that he will inform Ishnail about everything that is going on. And while I still don't think that Ishnail would like the idea of working with us, I doubt that he'd want the pirates to ransack the city."

"That's all?" Ukyo wondered. "Two gangs of gangsters are the only defense force we have against the pirates?"

"You better watch your tongue, girlie, or we'll smash you up!" one of the goons grumbled. Ukyo wasn't sure if it was Rocko or Vinny.

"Leave our guests in peace, boys!" Francesca scolded. "As for you, you really don't need to worry. We have an ally that will be a tremendous help against the ship of the pirates."

"And who would that be?" Ryoga didn't sound too impressed.

"Just follow me," Frankie said as he stood up. When they walked through the Item Shop, he told the Boo girl: "I'll be out for a while, Peeka. Tell anyone who wants to see me to come back later."

"Sure thing, boss!" Peeka nodded.

They walked through the West Side, across the main square and down to the harbor, where Toads and Bob-Ombs were busy carrying crates and barrels.

Frankie walked up to one of the pier. "He must be back any minute," he said.

"Who are you talking about?" Ryoga grumbled.

Kimmy smiled. "Just wait and see, son. I think I know who he's talking about. Mario told me everything about him... this should be interesting..."

For a while, they just waited. Then, a dark shadow appeared in the distance. Ryoga, Ukyo and Shampoo watched how a dark shape approached the harbor. And when it got closer, they also saw the glowing lights that were dancing around the dark object.

Finally, they realized that it was a ship... the darkest, most gloomy looking ship they had ever seen in their lives. The glowing lights were floating, blue flames with glowing eyes that were dancing along the torn sails of the ship, without setting them aflame. The skull and crossbones flag of the pirates was waving on top of the main mast. And when the spooky ship docked at the pier, they could see the huge, skull with the pirate head that was floating behind the wheel.

"MWAHAHAHAHAAAAH!" it laughed in a booming voice. "CAPTAIN CORTEZ IS BACK, YOU LANDLUBBERS! TREMBLE WITH FEAR!"

Frankie grinned as he came aboard. "Cut that out, Cortez, you know that nobody here is afraid of you anymore. Can't you start acting like a normal captain?"

"What's the fun in that?" the undead captain grinned, which wasn't a difficult thing to do, as his whole body was just a disembodied skull. He then looked at Kimmy and the Nerimians suspiciously. "And who are those scrawny landlubbers?"

Ryoga growled. "Who are you calling scrawny, you ugly bonehead?"

Frankie was surprised, but Cortez laughed again. "Hahahahahah! I like the guts of that one! Okay, mateys, what do you want from ol' Cortez?"

"Kaptain K.Rool and the Kremling Krew are on their way to Rogueport," Frankie explained. "We want to teach him that this town belongs to us... but since deep waters aren't exactly our specialty..."

"You thought Cortez could lend you a hand, just because he's one of this city's protectors, eh?" the floating skull asked. "Well, I know that K.Rool fella pretty well and I don't like him either."

"So you'll help us?" Kimmy asked hopefully.

"Do Piranha Plants bite?" Cortez laughed. "Of course I'll help! Leave it to me and my men!" He looked up to the flying Embers, the spirits of those who have died at sea. "We'll bring down his bucket of a ship faster than you can say 'Bob-Omb'. By the way, that reminds me... FIRST MATE!"

A Bob-Omb with a huge mustache, a sailor's hat and a steering wheel on his back came walking up to them. "Aye, Captain?"

"Prepare this ship for battle!" he shouted. "The cannons are your specialty, so make sure they all work fine when that scaly scum arrives!"

Bobbery nodded. "Leave it to me, Captain!"

"A Mafia mob, a gang of thieves and a crew of undead pirates," Ryoga frowned. "And you are saying all of them are Mario's friends?"

"Indeed, Ryoga," Kimmy nodded. "And we will need their help against the Kremling Krew... you might be strong, but you can't stop cannonballs that are being shot at the town." She turned to Frankie. "Shouldn't we warn the townspeople?"

"My men are already at it," Frankie told her. "We may look like a heartless mob of gangsters... but we love our town and would do anything to protect its citizens from danger. If there was one thing that Mario taught us is that we all have to work together when being threatened by an evil force that is so big that you can't handle it all by yourself - and I know what I am talking about, since something similar has happened before."

"All right," Kimmy nodded. "Then all we have to do is wait..."

----

"Aww, too bad, 'MOM'!" Wendy snickered as she stood in front of the fuming form of Princess Bowsie. "Looks like you're the princess in peril now, huh?"

"This isn't funny, Wendy!" the transformed Koopa king growled. "Look at me... this is the worst thing that could have happened to me!"

"He's complaining? Look at what happened to us!" whined one of the potted cacti as they were carefully carried out of the basement by Daisy, Peach and Kimmy.

"Isn't there any safe place we can put them until we find a way to change them back?" Peach asked Wendy.

"How about your room, sis?" Junior asked.

Wendy shuddered. "No thanks. I don't want them to spy on me when I undress. I guess we can put the cacti and brooms in the eastern wing, I always thought it needed some ambience..."

"Hey, we are not just decorations, got it?" a cactus grumbled.

"And what about the transformed Hammer Bros?" Daisy asked.

"Oh, we'll just find a nice place to sleep in the courtyard, but thanks for asking..." one of the butterflies mumbled as they fluttered past the princesses.

Later, they were all sitting in the castle's grand dining room.

Bowser was still sniveling. "My life is over... I can't face any of my adversaries like that... if only that cursed plumber would see me now... oh, whatever happened to the great, powerful King Bowser?"

"Oh, stop that whining already, Bowsie!" Daisy grimaced. "You are worse than a Shyguy who has lost his mask."

"Do you have to make fun of my misery?" she replied. "And don't call me that, that name sounds ludicrous."

"But it fits you well, don't you think?" Peach smirked.

Bowsie sighed. "You all hate me..."

"The question is, what do we do now?" Kodachi wondered. "My evil grandfather has escaped, and, well... it seems like we have one or two more problems than we previously had."

"You're damn right about that!" Bowsie shouted. "And they're sticking to MY chest!" And she pointed at the breasts that were pushing her green dress outwards.

Just then, the door opened, and Iggy and Lemmy came running in. "Dad, sorry to bother you, but..." Lemmy blinked and stopped himself in mid-sentence.

Iggy shook his head. "Is there something wrong with my eyes or do I need stronger glasses? I thought I was seeing a Koopa babe that looked almost like Princess Peach..."

Peach sighed. "It really is me, Iggy. But I'm afraid I'm not the only one who got changed. There are also your new sister, Junior..."

The baby girl waved at the two stunned Koopalings. "Hey, bros!"

Bowsie knew where this was going and frantically waved around her hands. "No, don't tell them! Anything but that..."

"Oh, I think they have a right to know," Peach smiled. "Iggy, Lemmy, this... is your father."

Iggy and Lemmy stared. And then stared some more. And finally, Lemmy managed to open his mouth.

"Dad, I'm sorry to tell you this, but... you are one hell of a babe!"

"Cut that out!" Princess Bowsie growled. "It's only temporary... until we find a way to track that treacherous Kamek down."

"Kamek did that?" Iggy whistled. "Wow, I never knew the old coot still had such powerful magic left."

Lemmy grinned. "Aw, don't sweat it, Dad!" he chuckled. "Maybe now that you are a girl, your cooking abilities will increase..."

Iggy broke out with laughter.

Bowsie snarled. "You are sooo paying for this, boys..." she grumbled. "If you are done with making fun of me, why did you come to bother me in the first place?"

"Oh, yeah!" Iggy nodded. "There seems to be some trouble in the shipyard. Those stupid mole-turtles built that new Bullet Bill launcher, just as you ordered..."

"But," Lemmy went on. "They made it too big, and now they can't lift it from the ground. You know Rocky Wrenches aren't exactly strong..."

"Anyways, they now can't attach the cannon to your Klown Kar, and now they don't know what to do."

"Incompetent fools!" Bowsie shouted. "Do I have to do anything by myself?" And she stormed out of the room.

Peach, Daisy and Wendy looked at each other. "You know... we better make sure she doesn't hurt herself," Peach then spoke up.

The head technician of Bowser's shipyard was very surprised when an angry, but also cute redhead came storming past him, muttered something about 'weak little mole-turtles' and then approached the huge cannon.

"Miss?" he said as he ran after her. "Excuse me! Miss? This is dangerous machinery! You really shouldn't go near it. Besides, this is a restricted area. How did you...?"

"Step aside and let me do your job, you idiot!" Bowsie snarled and tried lifting the Bullet Bill launcher from the floor.

"But... but Miss," the Rocky Wrench stuttered. "You can't just..."

"I wouldn't make her more angry than she already is," Iggy smirked as he and everyone else appeared in the shipyard as well.

"Y-young master?" the head technician murmured. "But... who is that girl anyways?"

"Oh, just your boss, so it's nothing you should worry about," Daisy smirked.

Then, a loud clang of metal made everyone jump in surprise.

"OW, DAMMIT!" Bowsie yelled at the top of her lungs. "What the heck... this thing is HEAVY!" She came hopping towards them on one leg. "My poor toe..." she whined.

Peach frowned. "It's your own fault. You must know that you are much weaker in this form. Besides, what's this I hear about constructing a new war vehicle? Did you plan to attack the Mushroom Kingdom again?"

Bowsie chuckled nervously while holding her injured foot. "Oh, um, I mean... a little bit? I mean, it's just because of you..."

"Because of me? Bowser, you just don't get it, do you? As long as you continue to threaten my subjects, I will never like you." She turned around to face the head technician. "The project is cancelled. Take this cannon apart and never make any weapons like that again!"

"What? No!" Bowsie shouted with horror. "Peachie, please, you can't do that to me... constructing weapons of mass destruction... it's my hobby! My life! You can't take that away from me. I promise I won't use it against the annoying little fungus-heads..."

The Koopa princess glared at her.

Bowsie gulped. "I mean, I won't attack the Toads with it. But I wanted to finish that vehicle for months now, and if we abandon it now... all these months would have been a waste!"

Peach frowned at her. "You swear that you will never use airships, cannons, magical weapons or explosives of any kind to threaten my kingdom anymore?"

"I swear it," Bowsie sighed. "Koopa's honor..."

"But you aren't a Koopa anymore, Dad..." Lemmy pointed out.

Bowsie glared at her son. "How VERY nice to remind me of that fact, son!"

Lemmy smiled. "Sure, Dad! Anytime!"

Peach sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'll allow you to finish it then... where did you say did this thing belong?"

"Um, up there, ma'am..." the head technician muttered... and then he gaped when the Koopa girl effortlessly picked up the heavy cannon and attached it to the Klown Kar. Quickly, two other technicians fastened it with their screwdrivers.

Peach let go and took a step back. "There," she smiled. "Piece of cake!"

She blinked when she saw how everyone was staring at her. "Um... is anything wrong?"

"Peachie, you... you realize you just lifted a huge piece of machinery all by yourself, right?" Daisy asked.

Peach was surprised. "You are right," she said. "And it was surprisingly easy." She smiled. "I guess this new form has its advantages after all."

"You go, Mama!" Junior cheered.

Princess Bowsie was feeling very depressed all of a sudden. "If you excuse me... I guess I'll go in the kitchen and prepare dinner..."

Everyone looked after her, as she left the shipyard with her head hung down and a miserable expression on her cute face.

"You know, I feel very bad about what I said earlier all of a sudden," Lemmy admitted.

Iggy nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Wendy sighed. "I guess I'll go talk with her. You guys go ahead and lay the table."

"Okay," Peach nodded. "I think I understand why she is so upset..."

Bowsie sniffled as she entered the kitchen with the huge pots over bubbling lava pits. "I'm worthless," she cried. "I can't do anything anymore... I can't even lift one little Bullet Bill launcher! What happened to the fearsome King Bowser? Toads ran away when they heard my name, and the Mushroom Kingdom as trembling when I came to attack."

She sighed. "I guess these times are now over, forever..." She sniffled a bit more, then she walked over to the cupboard. "Let's see, what will we have for dinner today?"

She hesitated, then she took a jar of pickles and tried to open it.

The lid wouldn't budge.

Bowsie frowned, then she grabbed the jar and the lid tightly and tried to open it with all her might.

The only effect was that her arms were getting cramped.

She yelled out with exasperation.. "Oh, come on! I have a problem with even a jar of pickles? That's just not fair..."


	17. The Virus Trio

Akane pulled back her hammer. Ranma was embedded in the hard, rocky ground of the asteroid they were standing on, only his head was jutting out. A huge bump was visible, too. 

"Let that be a lesson to you, Ranma!" Akane grumbled. "Never shove me into a huge cannon like that again - no matter if we had to do it or not!" 

Mario sweatdropped. "Mama mia, did you really have to do that, Akane?" 

"The jerk deserved it," Akane huffed. "Besides, he'll be okay." 

Ranma's eyes were spinning. "Ooooh..." he groaned. "I'm seeing so many, many stars..." 

"Of course you do," Mario chuckled. "We are in outer space, after all." He gestured ahead to a floating building. "See that? That's-a the Comet Observatory, where Princess Rosalina and her Luma friends are living." 

"And she can help us reach that Geno guy?" Akane asked. "Well, how are we gonna go over there? There is no other cannon on this tiny rock... not that I would ever want to enter one of those again." 

"No, there isn't," Mario smirked. "But do you see that Launch Star?" He gestured at a big, orange star with five knobby points, resembling a sheriff's star. 

"Yeah... and what can that thing do?" Akane wondered. By now, she was ready to expect anything. 

"Why, it will launch us over to the Observatory," Mario grinned. "Observe and repeat after me." He jumped up to the Launch Star, spun his body around... and the star catapulted him through outer space, over to the Comet Observatory, where he skillfully landed on a terrace. 

He turned around and waved. "See? Easy, isn't it? Now, you try it!" 

"You've got to be kidding me..." Akane muttered. She looked up to the Launch Star and then down to Ranma, who was still stuck in the ground. 

She grabbed her fiance's shirt and pulled him out of the ground. "You go first, Ranma," she shouted and threw him up into the air. 

"Wh-whaaaa...?" Ranma yelped in surprise. "Akane, what are you doing?" 

"Spin, you idiot!" Akane yelled. "Isn't the Saotome school's specialty midair combat? So do it already!" 

Just before Ranma fell back to the ground, he spun around his body, and just like Mario before him, he flew over to the Observatory. He just flew a tiny bit past Mario's current location, bounced off a wall and fell down to the ground. 

Ranma rubbed his head. "Well, this could have worked a bit better... okay, I'm fine! Now it's your turn, Akane!" 

Akane sighed. "Oh well, I guess there's no way around it, isn't there?" Reluctantly, she repeated the high jump, followed by a clumsy spin. The Launch Star launched her to where Mario and Ranma were standing, and she stumbled across the terrace. 

She blinked. This wasn't as terrible as she thought it would be... at least not as terrible as her cannon flight. 

"So... what do we do now?" she asked. 

"Well, let's-a try and see if we can find the princess," Mario said. "Yoohoo! Anyone here?" 

A little, brown creature resembling a tear-shaped star came floating through the open door in front of them. "Oh," it said in surprise. "If it isn't Mario... we never believed to see you again, so soon. How are you doing?" 

"Fine, Polari, thanks-a for asking," Mario smiled. "These are my new friends, Ranma and Akane. We are here to ask a favor of Princess Rosalina... could we please talk to her?" 

"I already figured you wouldn't make this journey into outer space just to say hi," the brown-colored Luma snickered. "Well then, please follow me. I am sure the princess will be as glad to see you again as I am." 

Polari lead them through the Comet Observatory, all the while differently-colored Lumas were flying past them. Quite a few greeted Mario happily. Most of them sounded as if they were younger than Polari. 

"Say... who are these little guys?" Ranma whispered. 

"They are the Luma," Mario explained. "Princess Rosalina's little helpers. They live here with her and... to be honest, she has become something like a mother to them. And Polari is her personal advisor... just like Toadsworth is to Princess Peach." 

"Here we are," Polari said as they walked through another door and entered a big bedroom. "Princess, we have guests." 

A blonde girl wearing a pale blue dress and a silver crown stood up from a chair and smiled when she recognized the mustached plumber. "Mario," she said. "Welcome back! And welcome to your friends as well. What brings you here?" 

"Hello, princess!" Mario smiled. "I wish I could say I came to say hi, but... some bad things have happened in the Mushroom Kingdom, and we're here because we need something... something that can't be found in the Mushroom Kingdom." 

----

And then Mario explained everything to the princess. After he was finished, she thoughtfully looked out of the window. "I think I know what kind of rock you are talking about, and I am pretty sure the residents of the Star Road will be able to bring you what you need, but... we are too far away to contact anyone from there. We'll have to wait at least two days until we are close to the Star Road, maybe even three." She then smiled. "But I am certain that by then, I will have found a way to contact your friend 'Geno'. I think I may even know him." 

"That's great!" Mario grinned. "Then maybe we will be able to turn Princess Peach back to normal after all." He turned to Ranma and Akane. "You won't mind waiting here with me until the Observatory has come close enough to the Star Road, do you?" 

"Not at all," Akane smiled. "To be honest, I am kinda excited that I'm here... I mean, a building that floats through outer space, and I don't even need a spacesuit to breathe..." 

"She's new to our world, isn't she?" Rosalina giggled. "Well, I hope you'll enjoy the two days you're gonna stay here. Polari, would you please prepare a guest room for them?" 

"I will take care of it right away," the brown Luma nodded and flew out of the room. 

"Say..." Rosalina then said. "While you are here, there is something I'd want to ask you as well..." 

"What is it, Rosalina?" Mario asked. 

"Well... you know that the Lumas are a big help to me and that I am trying to be a good mother for all of them, but... sometimes, it can be very tiring, caring for the younger ones. And these days, many young Lumas have been born, and I am afraid I don't have enough helpers to take care of them both. So, if it isn't too much of a bother to you... could you help me care for them while you're here?" 

"What?" Ranma was surprised. "Um, that's okay, I guess... but... taking care of children? I don't know if I'm the best for this job..." 

"Oh, it isn't hard at all, Ranma," Akane smiled. "I once babysat for our neighbors, and it was really fun. And I absolutely love little kids..." She gave the princess a short bow. "I would be glad to help you." 

"Oh, thank you so much!" Rosalina smiled. "You don't know how much this means to me." 

----

In the evening, Ranma was sitting in the nursery for the little Baby Lumas and fed a green Luma Baby with a bottle. All around him, Mario and Akane were trying to calm down crying babies, playing with bored babies and feeding those that were hungry. 

"It isn't hard at all, eh?" he grumbled. "Wasn't that what you said, Akane?" 

Akane panted hardly as she ran after a little, red Luma who didn't want to be bathed. "I must admit... it has been some time since I took care of a baby... and then, there have never been THIS many babies." 

"Well, at least there are three of us who can take care of them," Mario grinned as he tickled a yellow Luma. The tiny star-baby giggled. "And they are really cute, aren't they?" 

Ranma sighed. "Oh well, I guess they..." He winced when suddenly, cold water got splashed into his face. 

A small, blue Baby Luma giggled while holding the now empty paper cup of water it had used to splash Ranma with. 

Ranma-chan spat out some water. "Just great..." she grumbled. 

Mario blinked. "Ranma, how... how did that happen? Did you use some sort of rare Power-Up?" 

Ranma sighed. "No, this just happens when I'm hit with cold water... but don't worry, I'm pretty much used to it by now. Just give me some hot water and I can turn back to... normal?" She blinked in surprise when suddenly, several Luma Babies were clinging to her upper body. "What the heck?" 

Akane giggled. "Looks like the little guys prefer you this way. Maybe you have some maternal instincts after all, Ranma." 

"Oh, very funny, Akane..." Ranma grumbled. She then sighed in defeat and petted the red Luma in her lap. It crooned affectionally. "Oh well... I guess it's not that bad after all..." 

Suddenly, Princess Rosalina came running into the nursery. Several babies flew up to her and greeted her with happy noises. 

Rosalina smiled at them, then she got more serious when she turned to her guests. "Guys, we have a problem. A few of the babies have become sick... and I don't know what to do. I tried giving them some medication, but nothing worked." 

"Oh no," Akane gasped. "Those poor little things..." 

A serious expression appeared on Mario's face. "Let me take a look at them... maybe I can do something." 

"You?" Rosalina asked with surprise. "I mean... do you know anything about diseases?" 

"Princess," Mario smirked while taking off his trademark cap. "You are standing in front of the most renowned physician of the Mushroom Kingdom." And out of nowhere, he pulled a white lab coat and a little mirror he attached to his head. He smirked. 

"Dr. Mario is in the house!" 

----

Dr. Mario put his stethoscope on the young Luma's tummy. "Breath in," he said. 

Afterwards, he looked into his mouth and checked his pulse. He repeated the procedure with a few other Luma Babies. 

"Well, can you help them, Dr. Mario?" Rosalina asked in a hopeful voice. 

Mario sighed. "I'm-a not sure, but I have a hunch... I need to take a blood sample from one of the babies. Is there one of them who isn't afraid of needles?" 

And after taking some blood from one of the older Luma boys that were infected, Dr. Mario looked at the blood-filled syringe and nodded. "That should be enough. Do you have a microscope?" 

Polari brought the needed instrument, and the doctor got to work. He put some of the Luma Baby's blood under the lens and looked through the microscope. 

And he was faced with billions of yellow, red and blue creatures that made faces at him. 

"As I feared..." he sighed. "It's a virus epidemic." 

"What kind of virus?" Akane wondered. 

"Three kinds, to be exact, Akane!" Mario explained grimly. "I've dealt with them before... there was a horrible epidemic in the Mushroom Kingdom, which started my career as a doctor. Those viruses can cause sudden fever, chills and even cause weird transmutations. That's why I named the three kinds of viruses Fever, Chill and Weird." 

"By the stars..." Rosalina gasped. "Isn't there anything you can do?" 

"I think so... but it will take some work," Dr. Mario said. He pulled a few colorful pills out of his coat pockets. "These Megavitamins are the only cure against those pesky viruses, and they need to be applied in the correct order. It will take me some time, but given some time, I should be able to stop them from spreading." 

"Are you sure?" Rosalina asked in a worried tone of voice. "There are so many infected Lumas, after all..." 

Dr. Mario looked over the sick Luma Babies and sighed. "Maybe I need a few assistants..." he muttered. "Akane, Ranma... I hereby appoint you to my personal medical assistants." 

"You're kidding, right?" Ranma blurted out. "I know nothing about this stuff." 

"It's not that difficult, all you need to know is the right combination of vitamin colors." 

"I'll do it," Akane said. 

"For sure?" Ranma asked her in surprise. 

"I've learned a few things from Dr. Tofu," Akane frowned. "With Mario's help, I think I can help him. Still, I wonder if Ranma would be a great help or more of a hindrance..." 

"H-hey, what's that supposed to mean?" The pig-tailed youth sounded offended. "I'll show you I can learn anything if I want. C'mon, Mario, show me what to do." 

Akane and Mario grinned at each other. Given the proper motivation, Ranma would be willing to learn anything, no matter if it was a new martial arts technique or not. 

----

Dr. Mario and his new assistants worked the whole day and half of the night, before they became so tired that they had to stop with their work and go to sleep. 

"We have to get up early," Mario mumbled. "If we wait for too long, the epidemic will spread again, and then all of our work was in vain..." 

"I'll make sure your sleep won't get interrupted," Rosalina promised. "Polari, please show them the guest rooms." 

"Of course," the brown Luma nodded. "Please, come this way..." 

----

Of course, there was no true day or night in the depths of space. But since every creature needed to sleep, the Comet Observatory was able to generate an artificial time of night, where all windows were closed and all rooms were darkened, so that to the inhabitants, it seemed like it was the middle of the night. 

Only a few of the adult Lumas were awake to guard the Observatory, while everyone else was in a deep slumber. 

That's why nobody noticed the small shape that zipped through the dark corridors. There was no way to tell how this individual could have sneaked past the Observatory's security, but the little, gnome-like figure moved around as quiet as a mouse. 

Finally, he reached the makeshift practice of Dr. Mario next to the nursery. 

The figure was wearing a white sheet, along with a pointy party hat. A pair of red eyes was peering through two holes in the sheet. 

The Duplighost named Doopliss made sure that nobody was around, then he walked up to the table where the microscope, various instruments and the blood sample he had taken from the little Luma. It was now placed inside a bottle, closed tightly with a security cork. 

Doopliss looked at the bottle and snickered. "Well, they surely make my work up here easy. This will keep Mario busy for some time. And as long as he's busy up here, he won't be able to bother the boss." 

Doopliss looked over to the sleeping Baby Lumas in the next room. "It's a pity that I have to do this to the little tykes... but oh well, life's not fair, they just have to learn that the hard way." 

He took a small Super Mushroom out from underneath his sheet, as well as a knife. He then proceeded to cut off tiny pieces of mushroom and put them on the table. When he was finished, he put the rest of the Super Mushroom away, opened the bottle and threw the tiny mushroom bits inside. 

He grinned. "That should cause some chaos. Maybe I'm lucky and these viruses will take Mario out once and for all... Oh, I should hurry. If someone catches me like this... besides, I don't want to be infected either." 

He raised his arms, and using the natural abilities of all Duplighosts, he transformed into a white Luma. 

The disguised Doopliss snickered. "They will never catch me like this," he grinned as he floated out of the room. 

Shortly after he was gone, the bottle standing on the table started to shake. At first only a tiny bit, then it shook more violently, and in the end, the bottle exploded... and three big shapes appeared in the room. 

They were round as a ball and as big as a Bob-Omb. They waved around their stubby arms and legs in excitement and hopped up and down. 

"We're free! We're free!" the blue one shouted. 

"And big!" the red virus snickered while his slobbery tongue lolled out of his mouth. 

"And ready to cause trouble," the yellow one added. "Dr. Mario may think that his little pills are enough to stop our little cousins... but now the big ones are here." 

"Fever, Chill and Weird are in the house!" the blue virus grinned. 

"Yeah," his red companion nodded. "And you know our motto:" 

And together, the three super-sized viruses yelled: 

"WE MAKE YOU SICK!" 


	18. Hot, cold, crazy

Princess Rosalina thought she was dreaming when she heard loud yells echoing through the observatory. After realizing that she was wide awake, and that her beloved Luma might be in danger, she jumped out of bed. She ran to the door of her bedroom, but then she realized that she was still wearing her nightgown.

"No time to dress the old-fashioned way," she murmured and took her star-tipped wand, which was lying on her nightstand. She gave it a little twirl, and in a flash, she was dressed in one of her blue dresses.

Normally, she didn't like to get ready like this, but this was an emergency. Putting on her crown, she left the room.

Outside, she ran into Ranma, Akane and Mario, who had just come out of their respective guest rooms. "Did you hear that noise as well?" Akane asked.

Rosalina was going to answer, but then, they saw a yellow Luma, who came floating past them, trying to put out the flames on his body.

"YEEOOOOWWW! HOT! HOT! HOT!"

In one corner, they could see a huge ice cube... and in its middle, there was a frozen, green Luma.

And it was getting even weirder when they saw another Luma jumping past them... using powerful frog legs that had grown out of his body.

Ranma boggled when he saw all of this. "This... isn't normal, is it?"

"No," Mario sighed. "And my guess is that the viruses are to blame... but in all my career as a plumber OR doctor, I have never seen such..."

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH!" a cackling laughter came out of another door close by. "That's it, run, you little star dweebs, run for your little lives!"

"What's happening in there?" Rosalina shouted and ran after the voice. When somebody was threatening her darling little Lumas, there was no way of stopping her.

"Princess, wait," Mario gasped. "That's-a too dangerous..." Followed by Akane and Ranma, he ran after her.

Together, they entered the room, which turned out to be the kitchen. But for a while, Rosalina wasn't too sure if she was in her kitchen or in the middle of some infernal battlefield.

Burning flames were dancing all over the floor, incinerating the tablecloth and napkins that were lying on the table. The pink Luma Chef did his best to put out all the fires, but there was a huge, red virus sitting in the middle of the room, who waved around his stubby little arms, shooting flames and sparks everywhere.

"Nyeh heh heh heh!" the virus called Fever snickered. "Burn, baby, burn!"

"Is that a virus?" Akane gasped. She recognized it from when she had looked at its smaller counterparts with the microscope. "Why is it so big?"

Ranma gritted his teeth. "I dunno, but I won't let him get away with this. Hey, hothead, why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

And he jumped at the red virus with a flying kick.

Fever was pretty surprised when the pig-tailed boy came flying out of nowhere. He was even more surprised when his foot hit him and sent him flying through the room. He crashed directly into the freezer and yelped.

"GAH! That's too cold!"

"Did anyone say anything about cold?" another voice spoke up. Gliding on a trail of ice, another big virus flew in through the window. THis time, it was the blue virus, Chill.

"There's another one!" Rosalina shouted.

"Megavitamins, where are my Megavitamins...?" Dr. Mario murmured while searching through his coat.

"About time you showed up!" Fever grumbled. "See what that jerk did to me?"

Chill grinned. "Oh, he's gonna pay..."

"Aw, shut it already!" Ranma shouted and raised his fists.

"Let's see how you can stand the heat..." Fever grinned. And on his fingertips, burning flames appeared.

"Hey, I'm the only one who may pick on Ranma!" Akane shouted as she prepared herself for battle.

"Don't interrupt us, little girl!" Chill hissed and produced a pair of ice cubes, which he hurled at Akane.

Akane grimaced when the ice cubes hit her forehead. "Ow! Dammit, that hurt!"

"This will hurt even more!" Fever cackled and fired a stream of flames at Ranma.

Ranma suddenly realized that his pants were on fire. "OW! OWOWOWOW! TAKE THEM OFF! TAKE THEM OFF!" And he comically jumped around, trying to put out the fire.

"Oh my gosh! Quick, help him!" Rosalina gasped.

"R-right away, princess!" the Luma Chef stuttered and poured some water over Ranma's head.

Ranma-chan sighed. "Thank you... very much..." she groaned.

"I've got them!" Mario shouted and pulled out a handful of his famed Megavitamins. "Now you're gonna get it!"

"Oooh, it's the big, bad doctor and look, he has a couple of colorful pills... how scary!" Chill said in a mocking tone of voice. "Why don't you just... CHILL OUT?" He pointed at the doctor, and a pair of blue-white beams came shooting out of his fingertips. They hit his lower body and encased it in a solid block of ice.

Dr. Mario dropped his Megavitamins in surprise. He then wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. "T-t-t-too c-c-c-cold..." he said with chattering teeth.

"All right, enough is enough!" Akane yelled and pulled out Mr. Mallet. "Now you'll get the bashing of your life!"

"SURPRISE!" a high-pitched voice screeched when all of a sudden, the third virus popped out of the sink, flying at Akane. "Time to get crazy!" he giggled as he touched her forehead with his finger.

Akane gasped in surprise when the yellow virus had appeared out of nowhere. "Wh-what did you...?" And then, her hands flew to her throat. And then, to her mouth.

"Mmmmmmpph..." she mumbled as she tried very hard to keep her mouth close.

"What's the matter?" Weird smirked. "Cat got your tongue?"

And then, Akane couldn't keep her mouth closed any longer, and a long, red tongue came lolling out of her mouth, so long, that you would wonder how it even fit into her mouth.

"Oh no!" the princess said. "He gave you a Yoshi tongue..."

Akane wanted to yell at the yellow virus, but all that came past her tongue was inarticulate mumbling. She raised her mallet and stormed forwards... and then she stepped onto her own tongue and fell down to the ground.

The virus trio bursted into laughter. "T-talk about a tongue-twister!" Chill giggled while pounding the floor.

"Teeheehee, hold you tongue, or I'm gonna laugh myself to death!" Weird snorted.

"That'sh not funny..." Akane mumbled. "Wanma! Go get him!" The only response was a deep groan. "Wanma?"

She took a look at her fiance and gasped when she saw the state the red-head was in. Ranma's breaths were coming out as heavy wheezes, and her whole body was covered with sweat.

"I... I'm gonna be just fine, Akane..." she murmured. "Just give me a sec... or two..."

Somehow, Akane managed to pull her tongue back into her mouth. She ran over to Ranma and felt her forehead. It was burning hot.

"Ranma, you have a fever!" she said with worry.

"Well, take a good guess where I got my name from," the red virus chuckled. "You didn't know we could spread our sickness by just touching our victims, did you?"

Akane looked over to Mario. While the ice cube around his legs had mostly melted, his teeth were still chattering wildly. "It's t-t-true..." he stuttered. "R-r-ranma and I have been infected... I d-d-don't think we c-can fight like this."

"That's right, and since there's nobody to stop us, we're gonna have all the fun to ourselves!" Weird grinned. "C'mon, boys, let's infect some Lumas!"

"Yeah!" his companions cheered as they all escaped through the window.

"No, what are they going to do to my little babies?" Rosalina sobbed. "Oh, what can we do?"

"Th-there's only one thing to d-d-do..." Mario muttered. "Ak-k-kane has to do the job."

"WHAT?" Akane shouted in surprise, causing her tongue to roll out once again. She quickly stuffed it back into her mouth. "Are... are you serious?"

"There's no other choice..." Mario sniffed. "R-ranma and I are b-b-both out of commission."

"No way..." Ranma wheezed. "I'm... gonna kick their butt, you'll see..." She panted heavily. "I just need to catch my breath..."

"Nonsense, your skin is practically burning," Rosalina protested. "You have to go to bed, both of you."

"But... but what about me?" Akane wondered. "That yellow virus touched me... yet I feel fine. Why's that?"

"He's just mutating your body," Mario explained. "You have no f-fever or anything... but the longer you wait, the more the sickness will change you. You have to be quick. P-p-pick up my Megavitamins and use them to defeat the viruses. I'm s-sure they also work on the big v-versions. You st-t-till know the color combinations?"

"I... I think so..." Akane muttered as she picked up the colorful pills. She sighed. "All right, I guess I have no choice... but aren't you a bit exaggerating? I mean, that long tongue is the only thing that has changed about me?"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma asked. "Then you better take a look at your butt."

"My... my butt?" Akane turned around and yelped in surprise when she saw the red snake tail that was squirming around behind her.

"A Cobrat's tail..." Rosalina murmured. "She has grown a Cobrat's tail..."

Akane winced. "I guess I better hurry up..." But then, she realized something.

She glared at her fiance. "RANMA! What do you think you were doing, staring at my butt? The only reason why I'm not pounding through the roof is that you're sick and need your rest."

"Oh, I can't believe my luck..." Ranma grumbled.

Akane turned to Rosalina... careful not to hit anything with her new tail. "You'll take care of them, right? I'll be back as fast as I can..."

"Of course," Rosalina smiled. "And good luck to you!"

* * *

"Now what do they want?" sighed Princess Peach as she was slumping down on Bowser's throne.

Daisy checked the fax she was holding. "According to the castle engineers, the eastern corridor of the prison dungeon has collapsed."

"And what's the problem?" Peach groaned. "Don't they know how to use a shovel?"

"Probably... but it says here that also heavy stone blocks have fallen down from the ceiling, and they can't lift them by themselves."

"I don't believe this..." Peach sighed. "Bowser's job is harder than I thought... and here I always believed he was just sitting on his throne and bossed everyone around. And your brothers are moving no finger to help either," she told Wendy and Junior, who were standing next to her throne.

Wendy sighed. "Yeah, well, ever since that day Cackletta tricked us into believing she was Daddy - not that I believed it for a second - my brothers have become pretty pathetic and lethargic..."

"In other words, they have become lazy gluttons," Junior spoke up. "They don't believe that Daddy's plans work anymore, I think I'm the only one who still was ready to do anything for him."

"The only one?" Peach frowned. "And what about you, Wendy?"

The older sister giggled nervously. "Well, you see, I would've loved to help Daddy, but... all this work is making my claws brittle."

Peach sighed. "Never mind... I guess I have to take care of this myself... again! Ooooh, I just hope Mario and the Professor find a cure for all of us quickly... I don't know how long I can put up with this..."

"PEACHYYYYY!" a whiny voice shouted.

The red-haired lady in the green dress entered the throne room and ran towards the Koopa princess.

Peach sighed once again. "Yes, Bowsie?"

The transformed Koopa King sniffled. "Peachy... you've got to help me! I can't open this jar of pickles by myself..."

"Oh, come on!" Peach groaned desperately. "Do I have to do everything around here? Why don't you ask one of your Goomba minions?"

"They don't have any hands."

"And the Koopa Troop?" Daisy asked.

"Those that haven't been transformed by Kamek are all working to uncover the collapsed corridor in the dungeon."

"What about the boys?" Wendy suggested.

Bowsie sniffled. "Those meanies didn't want to help me... I wanted to ask that new girl, the nice one... what's she called again, Kodachi? But... I couldn't find her anywhere..."

"Kodachi is in Kamek's laboratory, trying to find something useful," Daisy explained. "Have you tried opening it with some tool?"

"I wanted to..." Bowsie said meekly. "But..." she looked down at her fingers. "I didn't want to make my nails brittle..."

* * *

Meanwhile, a black-shelled Koopa girl was sitting in Kamek's old laboratory, rummaging around his shelves, cupboards and cabinets, through a huge amount of wooden boxes, metal chests and even through wastebaskets.

"There's certainly a huge amount of books about all sorts of magic, potions and powerful artifacts in here..." Kodachi murmured. "But not a single book about a potion that increases a person's magical abilities..."

She sighed and sat down on a stool. "He probably has taken all of his books with him when he escaped," she muttered. "Or he made sure to bring them away before Bowser could learn about his intentions..."

To be honest, Kodachi also had searched for something that would tell her more about her grandfather's motives, his thoughts or just a reason for all this madness.

Why did he choose her and her brother? Why did it have to be her rose? Why not some other powerful item?

"Curses..." she muttered. "No matter which family of mine I look at, there are lunatics everywhere."

At least her true parents were gentle people...

Still, she wondered what her foster father, the principal, and Tatewaki were doing right now. She didn't quite miss them... but she still wanted to know if they were worried about her disappearance or not. Intact family relationships or not, they were still the people she had believed to be her true family for all those years, and something like that certainly leaves a mark.

"I wish this castle had something similar like a Warp Zone in its basement..." she sighed. "So I could check up on them."

But then she remembered a certain item she had seen in one of the shelves. She quickly walked back to where she believed it had been and searched around for a bit... then she found it.

It was a small, black, cylindrical item, as big as an orange. It was a miniature of a black warp pipe, only that there were a few letters written on its front side.

"Portable Warp Pipe..." Kodachi murmured. "Brings you to every place you think about, but only if you've already been there before. Can only be used once..."

She thought about it. She knew she wanted to find out more about her grandfather, after all, Ryoga would want to know more about him as well. Also, she had promised Peach to stay at her side...

"Maybe... just for a short while," Kodachi pondered. "So that I can see if they are fine..."

Of course, that meant that she would have to change back to her human self... but after her visit in Whonkia, that was no problem anymore.

"Just imagine what my delusional brother would do if he saw me in my birth form..." she chuckled. "He most probably would believe I was some sort of demon who wants to trick him... or maybe that the 'foul sorcerer Saotome' has put a spell on me."

That's when she realized something. Now that she found out she really was a Koopa... and after accepting her true heritage... could she still imagine herself as Ranma's one true love?

She chuckled. After her visit in Whonkia had weakened the curse on her, and she regained some of her sanity, she had realized that Ranma really never loved her. Still, she couldn't help but sigh when thinking of him.

"But..." she murmured. "Could he ever love... a turtle?"


	19. Happy Tree Rivals

"Princess Peach! The Goomba troops are getting restless!"

"Princess Peach! The collapsed tunnel had more rocks fall, we need you again!"

"Princess Peach! Ludwig's pipe organ is clogged up again, what should we do?"

"Princess Peach! The piranha plants are fighting with the chomps! They need something to do!"

Princess Peach! The Whomps keep jumping up and down bringing more of the tunnel down! What are your orders?"

"Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach! Princess Peach!"

Her left eye ticking dangerously, Peach Toadstool was one step away from having a serious breakdown. She had REALLY underestimated Bowser's job. How had the Koopa King managed to rule over such … incompetent troops and STILL have the time to go kidnapping her all the time?! All the constant whining and disorder, it was straining her normally calm and serene temperament to its limit.

Standing to Koopa Peach's right, Princess Daisy was amazed at how disorganized the entire Koopa Kingdom seemed to be without its tyrannical ruler. Some one really ought to whip this place into shape, though for some reason her friend had momentarily stopped in issuing her commands. She really shouldn't have done that if she wanted to keep on top of everything, maybe she'd appreciate some constructive criticism?

"Princess Peach! Lemmy Koopa got a ball stuck in one of the warp pipes again! Should we try to get it out like last time?"

Shaking her head, Daisy sadly chose that particular moment to put in her two cents.

"Geeze, Peach, you really should do something about those Koopa brats, they probably cause about half the problems around here." With an almost audible sound, something suddenly snapped within the young Princess turned Koopa.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That is IT!" Whirling towards the unfortunate princess of Sarasaland, Peach's vented her fury upon her unlucky target. "If you think you could do a better job, then why don't you? You know, that's actually a good idea, YOU deal with the kids! I have a kingdom to run, a curse to deal with, and a magic Koopa with delusions of grandeur! If you want to help, fine! GAURDS! Take Princess Daisy away to the children quarters!"

"W-w-what!" Daisy stuttered, "Are you KIDNAPPING me?" she asked incredulously.

"If that's what it takes to get things done around here," Peach replied as a pair of Koopa troops carried the disbelieving royalty away.

Seeing their ruler kidnapping a princess and resorting to violence to solve their problems, the assembled Koopa troops breathed a sigh of relief. This was definitely a sign that things were finally returning to normal.

"Grrr, that curse had better be messing with your mind Peachy, cause if it isn't so help me I'm gonna — Hey! Watch where you're putting those hands, buster!"

* * *

Stiffening, Luigi stopped to look around.

"Is something wrong Mr. Luigi?" Kasumi politely asked.

"I don't know, though for some reason I've got the weirdest feeling I should check up on Daisy. You think after we've gotten the melon, we could swing by Bowser's castle to see her, I really don't want to think about what that tyrant could be doing to her."

* * *

Standing off to the temporary Koopa Queen's left and munching away at her pickles with all the enjoyment of a Japanese Kappa, Princess Bowsie was having a great time. All day, no one had come to her once for anything. No requests, no petty disputes, not one bothersome and asinine word about anything. Oh sure, the loss of strength and her male gender was horrible, but now that she had something yummy in her tummy and a chance to take it all in, it really wasn't all that bad. Sort of like a mini-vacation in a way. She really should enjoy it before everything went back to normal. After all, when was the last time something MAJOR actually changed within the Mushroom world? All this would blow over soon enough.

"Princess Peach!"

"WHAT!? Can't you do anything for yourselves?"

"Um, well," shuffling his feet, the small parakoopa had the decency to look embarrassed for his new ruler. "You see, normally we'd just be mobilizing the forces to invade, but since we're not doing that right now, well, everyone is either restless, causing trouble, or fixing said trouble."

"I see," thinking it over the girl turned reptile tried to figure out some way to ease her burden and occupy the troops. "Well, just mobilize the troops."

"Yes your majesty! Where should I tell them to march off to?"

"Huh?"

"Well, they can only stand at attention for so long," the paratrooper explained. "They need some place in mind to go or they'll lose focus and just start to wander around again."

"Oh," thinking again, Peach once more addressed her officer. "Tell them to march off towards the Sarasaland dessert and then return to report on the local conditions."

"HEY!" cried a not so delicate voice coming from the direction of the Koopalings quarters.

"Oh don't worry Daisy," Princess Peach assured her. "It's not like anyone actually lives in that particular dessert, you told me yourself the place was empty. This way I can keep my troops out of my hair for a few days, and then we can send them out after Kamek once we know where he is."

"Well yeah… but you've got your own kingdom! Invading you should be old hand for all of them by now!"

Waving her off, the Koopa Queen lazily looked away. "My kingdom has enough troubles, and yours could use a little spicing up."

"Again, that'd had better be the curse talking or I'm gonna –"

"Aunty Daisy! Aunty Daisy! Morton's being mean to me again!"

"Aaugh! Someone just shoot me already!"

Glad that things were finally falling into place, the temporary ruler of the Koopa Kingdom addressed her next problem.

"Your majesty, there's still the problem of the royal engineers. Ever since they've stopped working on the Koopa Clown Car ™, they've been starting up projects and abandoning them left and right. They've already smashed open the left wing of the castle to build an addition and then left to smash open the northern wing!"

Looking on with disbelief at the short attention spans of her new people, the pink monarch wondered for the millionth time when Prof. E. Gad would have a cure ready. "Have them go back to working on that silly car thingy already. I don't care about it anymore, just as long as they're wreaking that and not the castle."

"Alright," the koopa replied. "What should they add to it?"

"Do you need to be told everything?"

"Pretty much," the koopa answered without any sign of guilt or remorse.

"Fine!" Peach yelled, "add on some of those… some, like rocket powered … or …"

Reaching down to the bottom of her pickle jar, Princess Bowsie was amazed at how useful her new form could be in situations like this. Normally her big claws would be stuck by now and she'd usually have to smash the jar open to get to the last of the pickles. Who knew that having delicate little hands would be an advantage? Though maybe she should do another kitchen run, some sour cream would go great with these pickles. Munching away at her latest prize, Bowsie absent mindedly decided to help out her stuttering companion.

"Add six extra Bob-omb launchers."

Smacking her fist into her hand, the Koopa Kingdom tyrant looked up with confidence. "I know! Add six extra Bob-omb launchers."

"Double fryguy shooter."

"This just came to mind, a double fryguy shooter!"

"The weight'll be a bit off from the additions so add two more propeller platforms to compensate."

"Hmmm, the weight'll be a bit off from these new additions, so add two more propeller platforms to compensate. Goodness, who knew I had such a knack for engineering?"

Looking over towards the still snacking girl tossing commands over her shoulder and the now preening pink koopa, the koopa officer could only sweat drop. "Uh, yeah, who knew? It must be like it just comes to you."

"Toss in a lakitu generator and maybe some sort of spiny lasso to capture people in."

"Oh! I'm a genius! Add in a lakitu generator and some sort of spiny lasso to capture people in!"

"Now laugh maniacally."

"BWHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Seeing that her guest was taking care of everything, the Koopa turned girl headed for the kitchen for another jar of pickles and sour cream. It was really amazing really. She hadn't felt this calm and mellow since… well since EVER! Ooo, that reminded her, she now finally had an excuse to try out that new spa she had built for Wendy-O last month. She should also invite that Kodachi girl as well. The new Over-Lord and Terror catalogue just came in and she looked like a girl that could appreciate the beauty and functionality of a spike leather chocker and tanned hide gloves with steel knuckles sewn in without getting all pervy thoughts. And maybe after that, they could host a golf or tennis tournament, or maybe some go-kart racing.

This was the best vacation ever!

* * *

Luigi took a close look around. "I don't understand this... where are all the melons?"

"Is there something the matter, Mr. Luigi?" Kasumi asked.

"I'd say so," Luigi nodded. "Take a look around! What do you see?"

Kasumi smiled. "Oh, I see many trees with colorful fruit, like apples, grapes, bananas..."

"Exactly!" Luigi shouted. "But do you see any melon?"

"Well, now that you mention it..." Kasumi murmured.

"How could this happen?" Luigi groaned. "Yoshi's Island is-a famous for all kinds of fruit, but especially for its-a melons... you'll never find melons more juicy and fruity than here, where the Yoshis live. They can't just have disappeared like this!"

The two Yoshis were confused as well.

"Yoshi?" Yoshi stuttered while looking at the trees. "Yoshi yoshi! Yoshi?"

"Yoshi..." Cyan sighed. "Yoshi yoshi..."

"They sound sad," Kasumi noticed. "Can't you ask them if they know what happened?"

"I'll try it, but I already told you, my Yoshish is not as good as my brother's," Luigi sighed.

He walked up to Yoshi and his childhood friend. "All right, you two! Any idea what's-a going on here?"

"Yoshi!" Yoshi shrugged. "Yoshi yosh yoshi? Yoshi yoshi!"

"Yoshi!" Cyan sounded very upset. "Yoshi yoshi!"

"Well, what did they say?" Kasumi asked.

Luigi shook his head. "I didn't quite get that, but it seems they are as clueless as we are. Since Cyan only was gone from the island a short time, whatever happened to the melons must have happened while she was away to get us."

"And... what do we do now?" Kasumi asked.

"I hate to say it, but... it-a looks like we have to return back to the castle empty-handed."

"But... but the professor said we need a melon for the solvent," Kasumi gasped.

"I know," Luigi nodded. "That's-a why I hope that some merchants back in town still have some Yoshi Island melons in store."

Suddenly, Yoshi got an idea. "YOSHI!" he shouted. He tugged Luigi's sleeve with agitation. "Yoshi yoshi! Yoshi!"

"Now what's-a going on?" Luigi muttered.

"It looks like he has an idea," Kasumi said.

"Yoshi?" Cyan asked. A look of hope appeared on the blue Yoshi's face.

Yoshi nodded. "Yoshi!"

"What was that?" Luigi asked. "The Super Happy... oh! Oh, I understand! Good idea, Yoshi!"

"What? What did he say?" Kasumi asked.

Luigi grinned. "It's so easy! Why didn't I think of this sooner? We just-a go and visit the Super Happy Tree."

Kasumi blinked. "The what?"

"Oh, excuse me, of course you wouldn't know... well, the Super Happy Tree is a very special tree growing here on Yoshi's Island. It's spreading the happiness across the island, making the life of every Yoshi full with joy. And... every type of fruit grows on it. That is, every type of fruit from this island. And every time you pluck one of its fruits, a new one will grow in its place."

Kasumi smiled. "My, how convenient! So we can just go to that tree if we want a melon?"

"Exactly!" Luigi nodded. "Yoshi and Cyan will take us there, every Yoshi knows where it is."

Kasumi and Luigi sat back up on Yoshi's and Cyan's saddles, and the two dinosaurs swiftly carried them across the hills and meadows of Yoshi's Island.

* * *

"So, this is the Creepy Steeple?" Happosai asked and looked around. "I've seen friendlier places..."

The old chapel was a ruined, abandoned place, perpetually shrouded in a cloak of darkness... since it was built at the Twilight Trail, an area of the Mushroom Kingdom where the sun never rises.

The only ones that lived here were the Boos... and a certain, mischievous Duplighost called Doopliss...

"I haven't been here since I was a little girl," Boonita smiled. "My great-aunt Booty has lived here before..."

"Before what?" Happosai asked.

Boonita sniffled. "B-before... she was caught by that horrible scientist and his vacuum cleaner..."

Happosai patted the distraught Boo girl's backside. "There, there..."

He may be an old pervert, but he still had his soft side. And he couldn't stand to see a young girl cry... even if she was a spherical ghost.

"YOU CAN'T ORDER ME AROUND LIKE THAT!" a screeching voice suddenly yelled. "I AM THE SUPREME RULER OF MY PEOPLE, AND BOOS HAVE LIVED HERE LONG BEFORE YOU SCALEFACE HAVE HATCHED FROM YOUR EGG!"

"N-n-now see here, your ghastliness," the shell-less turtle with the red robe, the goggles and the propeller on his head stuttered while speaking to the ghost king. "I must insist that you let us use that storeroom... we need it for when Master Kamek arrives. I have to remind you that you are still under contract with the Master, and therefore..."

"You dare to oppose me?" King Boo growled as he dangerously glared at the little Toadie.

Igor gulped. He was the leader of the little Toady Squad that served Kamek, but he had never faced the wrath of a powerful Boo like the king before. Still, he knew he would face the wrath of his master if he didn't carry out his orders...

Bravely, Igor pulled out a small sheet of paper. "This is a copy of the contract, Your Spookiness! You signed it yourself. My Master made sure to write it with magical ink, and I don't have to remind you what happens if you don't carry out all of your liabilities, do you?"

King Boo gritted his teeth while all around them, the Boos nervously backed off. They could see when their monarch was in a bad mood.

"Why is your king working with that magician anyways?" Happosai whispered.

"He hoped to get rid of Luigi and the Poltergust this way," Boonita whispered back. "That's why he agreed to let Kamek and his minions live here in the steeple, should he need a second hideout."

Now Happosai was wondering if there was a similar contract in existence that was signed by Wario, but he didn't mention the greedy plumber from Diamond City right now.

"Fine..." King Boo finally hissed. "I accept your terms... the storeroom will be cleared." He clicked his tongue, and a small group of Boos floated up to him. "You take care of that," he said.

"As you wish, Your Majesty!" an elder Boos nodded. "If I may ask... what should we do with the parrot?"

"Well, I'd love to rip out that stupid bird's feathers, but since Doopliss is a valuable ally, we should leave it in one piece. Bring everything, including the parrot cage, up to the bell tower."

The elder Boo waited until the Toadies were further away, then he whispered: "Any chance that Doopliss might change sides?"

"I doubt it," his king sneered. "For now, he will work for him, as we do... but the very instant the contract doesn't have any hold on me anymore, I will kick Kamek and his cronies out of the chapel. And Doopliss, well, while he isn't a Boo, he's still a ghost... and therefore, on our side." He grinned. "If the incident with Luigi and 'his' mansion proved anything, then the fact that all ghosts are willing to serve me... me, the superior of all specters and poltergeists! Nyeheheheheheh!"

* * *

"Is this it?" Kasumi asked.

Luigi nodded while getting off Yoshi's back. "Yes... that's-a the Super Happy Tree!"

The tree was growing on top of a small hill, surrounded by flowers. It looked similar to a vine that had grown from the earth, with all kinds of fruit hanging down from it. Kasumi could see an unusual fruit shaped like a heart, a bunch of bananas, an apple, a watermelon, a bunch of grapes... and a regular melon.

Kasumi smiled. "There it is! Princess Peach and Mario will be so happy..."

Together, she and Luigi approached the tree...

"YOSHI!!"

A yellow blur came running out of nowhere and tackled both humans down to the ground. "Yoshi! Yoshiyoshiyoshi! Yoshi!"

Luigi struggled against the grip of the yellow Yoshi that was pushing him and Kasumi to the ground - gently, but firmly.

"Mamma mia, what's-a the matter with you, Sandy?"

The yellow Yoshi looked at the Super Happy Tree, back at Luigi and shook her head. "Yoshi yoshi! Yoshi yoshi!"

Yoshi grumbled something and walked up to his yellow friend. "Yoshi?" he demanded to know. "Yoshi?"

"Y-y-yoshi..." Sandy stuttered nervously and looked back over her shoulder. She shivered.

Cyan walked up to them with a sigh and gently pulled Sandy off their two guests. "Yoshi!" she scolded her best friend. "Yoshi yoshi!"

"Y-yoshi?" Sandy asked and sniffled. "Yoshi... yoshi yoshi!"

Yoshi was taken aback. That couldn't be! She must be mistaken! "Yoshi...?" he murmured.

And then, he appeared. A tall, muscular Yoshi with dark blue skin, a pair of shades on his nose, a spiky collar around his neck and sharp claws on his toes. He glowered at the little group in front of him.

"Yoshi!" he exclaimed. He pointed at the Super Happy Tree, then at his chest. "Yoshi!" He grinned.

Kasumi was confused. "Mr. Luigi, what is going on? Who is that?"

"It's-a him..." Luigi murmured. "The biggest bully on Yoshi's Island... Boshi!"


	20. Dream your dream

"Yoshi!" Boshi proclaimed with a sly grin. "Yoshi yoshi!"

"Yoshi yoshi?" Cyan gasped. She looked at Yoshi with wide eyes. That couldn't be true.

"Yoshi?" Yoshi angrily asked his blue rival. "Yoshi?"

Boshi grinned and flexed his claws. "Yoshiiii..."

"Oh mamma mia, that can't-a be true..." Luigi sighed.

"What did they say?" Kasumi asked.

"Boshi is a big troublemaker on Yoshi's Island," Luigi explained. "Once, he was also the champion of the Mushroom Derby, a race between Yoshis held on this island. But one time, when my bro came for a visit, he helped Yoshi to win the derby and beat Boshi. Boshi had never been able to bear the humility, and now he wants-a vengeance. He doesn't really care for the Super Happy Tree or the melons... but he wants-a to reclaim his old title by beating Yoshi in a race."

"That's all?" Kasumi wondered. "So what's the big problem?"

"The problem is, that to make sure Yoshi doesn't-a chicken out from the race, Boshi has claimed the Super Happy Tree as his trophy... and he doesn't allow anyone to get near it as long as he didn't have his revenge."

Kasumi frowned. "But what for? If he just asks Yoshi-kun, I'm pretty sure he will gladly accept a rematch. He doesn't have to do this... and on top of this, he can't just bully the other Yoshis around, they aren't really part of this."

"True, but Boshi knows that they all are Yoshi's friends... and he's-a also a bit paranoid, I'm afraid. He wants-a this rematch to happen, no matter what!"

Kasumi looked at the spike-collared Yoshi with a scolding look on her face. "You really shouldn't be mean to those who are weaker than you. Why don't we all just sit together, talk this out, have a nice cup of..."

"YOSHI!" Boshi snarled when Kasumi closer. Angrily, he slashed at her with his claws. "Yoshi..." he grumbled.

Kasumi gasped and stepped back. The attack was just a warning, but even so, she was scared. She realized that this was a problem that couldn't be solved by tea...

"Yoshi!" Yoshi shouted and shook his fist. "Yoshi? Yosh yoshi, yoshi!"

"Yoshi tells Boshi to leave his friends alone," Luigi translated. "He also accepts the challenge."

"Yoshi?" Boshi grinned. "Yoshi..."

Yoshi just nodded.

"Boshi suggests a one-on-one race in the old stadium," Luigi explained. "The winner will be the new champion of Yoshi's Island."

"Oh my," Kasumi said. "But it's getting late... do they really want to have a race today?"

Luigi shook his head. "No, Yoshi has come a long way from Princess Peach's Castle... he will need a rest. The race will start in the morning. I'm afraid we'll have to wait until then."

"Oh... in that case, I guess it's a good thing that I'm an early riser," Kasumi commented.

"Yoshi..." Sandy sweatdropped. In her eyes, Yoshi's human friends could be weird sometimes...

* * *

That night, Princess Peach had a dream.

She dreamt she was still a royal Koopa, sitting in the throne room of Bowser's Keep... on the lap of King Bowser Koopa! While she gave him a deep hug, Bowser smirked at her before addressing the eight Koopa Kids that were standing in front of her, his children... THEIR children.

Peach felt proud when Bowser gave the Koopalings the order to start the assaults on Sarasaland, the Mushroom Kingdom, the Beanbean Kingdom and other countries. And her children were so obedient... every single one turned around to run to his or her airship, from which they would command the Koopa Fleets to attack the respective country.

Except for Junior. The little Koopa girl brought her parents a royal coach, which was pulled by two Reznors. With an inviting gesture, Bowser lead his queen into the carriage, which would transport them to the biggest, most powerful ship their armada had to offer. Hundreds of cannons, Bill Blasters, flamethrowers and Bob-Omb launchers and missile shafts were built in this masterpiece of technology. Using this vessel, they would lead the main part of the fleet, which would attack the Mushroom Kingdom. Not even the Mario Brothers could stand against the full force of this battleship.

When all of this was over, the Royal Koopa Couple would rule the world as king and queen.

After arriving on the battle cruiser's bridge, Bowser and Peach sat down on the two command seats.

The armada's admiral, a sleek Mouser-girl with brown hair, wearing nothing but a golden crown, turned around and gave her king and queen a respectful salute. "The fleet is ready and waiting for orders, Your Highnesses!"

Bowser smiled. "My dear... this honor is all yours!"

Queen Peach of the Koopas stood up from her seat and gestured ahead with a long claw.

"All ships, full speed ahead! Assume battle formations! Our target: The Mushroom Kingdom!"

With a grin, she sat back down next to her husband. "Oh yes, it's good to be Queen of the Koopas!"

* * *

Princess Bowsie, the former King Bowser Koopa, also had a dream that night...

She was placed upon a high tower, guarded by the three most evil menaces of the Mushroom World: King K.Rool, ruler of the Kremlings, the space alien, Tatanga, and Wart, the Lord of Nightmares!

"Heeeeellppp!" Bowsie shouted on the top of her lungs. "Somebody save meeeee!"

And somebody answered her call... the most brave hero in the whole Mushroom Kingdom, even though he was a plumber. He looked so brave while he climbed the tower... those powerful jumps... that dashing overall... and that gorgeous mustache! Hearts appeared in Princess Bowsie's eyes when her savior reached the top.

"Mario!" she gushed. "My hero!"

"Don't-a worry, princess!" Mario shouted. "I will save you!"

"You won't get past us, hero!" Wart yelled. "Get him!"

Only a short time later, the three villains were lying defeated on the ground, and Mario stood on top of them.

"You did it!" Bowsie shouted with glee.

"Come on, princess!" the heroic plumber smiled. "Let's-a get out of here!"

Carrying her in his strong arms, the hero brought the princess out of the tower, where his loyal Yoshi was waiting. Together, they rode across the wide plains and through the deep forest, and all the time, she was safe in his arms.

In the end, they arrived in Toad-Town, and a cheering crowd of Toads welcomed them. At the castle, Princesses Peach and Daisy waited in front of the gates, relieved that their best friend was safe and sound.

"We were sooo worried," Peach said and hugged the red-haired princess. "What did those villains do to you?"

"Don't worry, I am fine. I always knew Mario would save me..." she sighed dreamily.

"Come in, girlfriend!" Daisy smirked. "We prepared a huge dinner for you, you must be starved. And tonight, to help you forget all those awful things, we're gonna do your favorite thing..."

Bowsie's eyes began to sparkle. "You don't mean..." she gushed.

"That's right!" Daisy grinned. "Tomorrow, us girls will go SHOPPING!"

"SHOPPING!" all of the three princesses proclaimed together.

Bowsie couldn't be happier, with such good friends and such a charming hero at her side... A huge grin appeared on her face when she imagined all the lacy dresses she was going to buy, the jewels, the make-up and the ice cream... can't forget the ice cream!

"It's good to be a beautiful princess..." she sighed.

* * *

Kodachi also had an unusual dream that night...

It was the middle of the night, and she was in a dark, gloomy manor.

"Where am I?" she whispered. It was very dark, she barely could see a thing. Although... this house she was in... it looked familiar.

Suddenly, a door opened, and a tall, menacing figure stood in front of her. She instantly recognized his blue hakama and the bokken in his hand.

"Brother!" she shouted in surprise. "I'm home?"

Tatewaki Kuno glowered at her. He then raised his bokken. "Foul creature! Go back to hell, where your kind belongs!"

Kodachi gasped. "Brother, what... what are you talking about? It is me, your sister Kodachi..."

"You lying fiend!" Tatewaki snapped. "You look nothing like a member of the noble house Kuno! You are an abomination I have to strike down!" He raised his weapon. "Defend yourself, evil demon!"

Kodachi looked down at herself and realized that she was in her black-shelled Koopa form... no way her brother would recognize her like this. She concentrated and tried to turn back into a human... but it didn't work!

"Brother, stop this!" Kodachi shouted while dodging Tatewaki's furious attacks. "You are mistaken. I am your sister..."

"You aren't my sister!" Tatewaki yelled. "You KILLED her!"

"You killed her!"

"You killed her!"

"You killed her!"

Those words echoed in Kodachi's mind again and again while she ran through the empty mansion, escaping from her mad brother, who didn't even recognize her.

She saw the shadowy form of a ninja who threw several shurikens at her. "I must protect the house of Kuno!" Sasuke shouted. "And you are not a Kuno! You are a dirty foundling who never deserved to be called Kuno..."

In another room, she could hear, haunting, Hawaiian music and a horrible, grinning face with a palm tree on top. A pair of huge scissors was glinting in the dim light behind the figure.

"Care for a haircut, keiki?" Principal Kuno laughed. "Yer not a human after all, yer a cold, clammy reptile!"

"No, no, no!" Kodachi yelled while she ran past the nightmarish figures of Tatewaki, Sasuke and the principal. She ran upstairs, into the only room that had been a safe haven for herself, back when she was still a child...

She gasped and stopped when she saw the thin, black-haired woman that was lying on the bed in her room. She looked like a ghost... or a dead corpse.

"M-mother..." she whispered.

"You are not my daughter," the dead body of Mrs. Kuno said in a raspy voice. "I never had a daughter. You are a monster that should never walk on Earth! You belong with your kind! Stay out of our family... do not soil our blood with your presence. You are an abomination!"

"No..." Kodachi stammered. "Please, mother, no..."

Behind her, the images of her brother, father and servant appeared.

"Abomination!"

"Abomination!"

"Abomination!"

"Abomination!"

Kodachi closed her eyes and put her hands on her ears.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

* * *

With a horrible scream, Kodachi woke up. She panted heavily as she looked around.

She was in a gloomy place... but it wasn't the Kuno mansion. It was Kamek's laboratory. She was sitting at the Magikoopa's desk... that's where she had fallen asleep during her research.

She looked down at her scaly hands and her black shell. She remembered the horrible scenes of her dream and sobbed.

She just sat there in the darkness for a while, silently crying to herself.

'I can't go back home, can I?' she asked herself. 'My family would never accept me as I am. I'm not even sure if mother would...'

But still, she had another mother here in the Mushroom Kingdom, didn't she? But would she be enough to help her forget her old family?

'You can still transform back into a human,' a small voice told her. 'You can still be Kodachi Kuno.'

But she wasn't a Kuno. She was a Koopa. She might put up that facade and act like she still was part of the family... but deep in her heart, she would always know she was different. And if her father or brother would catch only a glimpse of her new form...

She shuddered when she imagined how her nightmares would become reality.

"I am a Koopa... I can never go back... they wouldn't accept me..."

She hid her face in her hands and cried. "I can never go back..."

* * *

Ryoga was sitting on a rooftop and meditated. He realized that it was easier to do so in his human form, so he was once again the young, muscular, bandana-clad man everyone from Nerima everyone there knew.

It was kinda hard to sit down cross-legged if you have a turtle shell.

He noticed how his own mother stepped onto the balcony of the next house, a store called the 'Lovely Howze of Badges'. She saw her son sitting on the other roof and used a quick shell spin to cross the gap between the two buildings.

"What are you doing up here, son?" Kimmy asked. She couldn't help but smile when she did so. Just a few days earlier, she would have never thought that she could call him that ever again.

"I'm preparing for the battle," Ryoga explained. "A good martial artist has to be prepared bodily and mentally."

"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting you, then," she said.

"Not at all," Ryoga smiled and opened his eyes. "So then, how is everyone holding up?"

"Well, I took a look at the troops..." she said as she sat down next to him. "The Pianta Syndicate consists mainly of tough brutes that would be lost without their leader's guidance... but I guess they can pack a punch. As soon as they found out what we were doing, the bandit gang from eastern Rogueport agreed to help out. They aren't as powerful as the Piantas, but they make that up with sneakiness. The pirate crew of Captain Cortez will be our trump card, especially since he can render his ship invisible... his Ember pirates are powerful, and their mere presence might frighten the Kremlings out of their scaly hides." She grinned. "Adding the fighting power of you and your friends, and I doubt K.Rool and his men will have a chance."

"Don't forget about you," Ryoga grinned. "You're quite the capable fighter as well, aren't you?"

"Well... somebody might have told you, but I was a member of King Bowser's elite corps, the Koopatrols."

"I heard as much," Ryoga nodded. "Aren't they the only Koopas that are allowed to wear spiky shells, next to the royal bloodline?"

"That's right," Kimmy nodded. "They are a sign of honor among us Koopas. Your father always admired me for those spikes... but he also admitted that he would love me without them."

"I know what he means," Ryoga smirked. "It's good that we are all one family again... even though I'd still call my parents back in Nerima my family as well."

"I have to meet them some day," Kimmy said. "From what Kenny told me, they must be pretty nice people."

Ryoga then sighed. "If only Kodachi would be here as well..."

"She is more troubled with her new identity than you are," Kimmy noted. "While she seems to accept that not all non-humans are as bad as she used to believe, she still is bothered with what your grandfather did... I think that's why she accompanied Princess Peach."

"I hope he doesn't hurt her..." Ryoga said with worry. "It's funny: I never had a sister before, but now that I do, I can't help but worry for her safety. Even if it's Kodachi... I mean, it's not her fault that she turned out to be like that, but..."

"I guess that's what a big brother feels like," Kimmy smiled. "Still, I think she made the right decision. And she won't be alone: Princess Peach and Daisy are with her, and if I'm not wrong, then even King Bowser wouldn't allow his court magician to hurt any Koopa within his castle without any reason. He might be a fierce ruler and a brutal villain at times, but he also has his own sense of honor."

"Sounds like an interesting man," Ryoga commented.

Kimmy chuckled. Yes, interesting indeed. But if Ryoga would know more about King Bowser, he'd think twice before paying him a visit.

Just then, her eyes caught something at the horizon, and she stood up. "Son, do you see that thing, out there at sea?"

Ryoga squinted his eyes. "Looks like a ship... a pretty big ship. And look at the flag... it's pretty far away, but I think that's a skull-and-crossbones flag."

"Looks like our guests are already here!" Kimmy shouted. "You go to your friends, I will alarm the militia."

The battle for Rogueport was about to begin...

* * *

"Kaptain, we're almost there!" One of the Kremling pirates shouted. "See there? That's Rogueport!"

"Excellent!" the Kremling ruler grinned. "A defenseless port town, inhabited mainly by lawless scum that would sell their own mothers for money... they won't be a problem! Clear the decks for action! Kannons to the ship's bow! Tell the Zinger trainer to hold his pets off until I give him the signal."

"Yes, sir! Sir, there's something else... a little problem I might have forgotten to mention..."

K.Rool narrowed his eyes. "A problem? What problem could there be?"

"Well, we... we caught a couple of... stowaways."

"What? Who could be bold enough to sneak aboard the ship of the ruthless Kremling Krew?"

The Kaptain gasped when out of nowhere, two green little shapes came flying and threw him down to the ground, squeezing the life out of him.

"UNCLE K.ROOL!"

"Surprise!"

K.Rool shook his head. "Kip? K-kass? Wh-what are you kids doing here?"

The two Kremling children grinned at their uncle.

"Well..." Kip started.

"We were bored at home..." Kass explained.

"And we always wanted to see how your krew is in action..."

"So we decided to come along..."

"Of course we knew you'd disagree..."

"So we hid in your cabin..."

"And waited until the ship was far enough away from Crocodile Island..."

"So you couldn't just bring us back..."

"And now that we're here, we can help you!"

"Aren't you glad?"

Kaptain K.Rool groaned. That was the last thing he needed...

* * *

Down in the hold, another small group of stowaways was waiting for the right moment to strike... only those stowaways were a bit more... furry.

"Now, DK?" a little monkey with a red baseball cap asked.

"Not yet, little buddy!" the big ape replied. "We have to make sure that we catch him completely by surprise... don't forget that there are at least two dozens of Kremlings out there."

"Not a big challenge for either of us," Dixie Kong commented, brushing her long ponytail out of her face."

"Maybe, but we don't want to take any risks... maybe this is the big chance to get rid of K.Rool for good."

"Would be too good to be true..." Diddy Kong sighed. "Imagine... he'd never come to our island to bother us..."

"Yeah, or to take away our bananas," Dixie nodded. "Still, when can we strike? I can't wait to kick his tail..."

"I'm wondering something else, Dixie," Donkey Kong frowned.

"And that would be?"

DK looked over to the little monkey girl that was even smaller than Dixie and looked up at him cutely. "Did you have to bring your little sister?"

"Aw, Tiny won't be a problem!" Dixie smiled and hugged her sibling. "Didn't she help you before?"

"I'm not afraid of those mean ol' Kremlings," Tiny proclaimed and brandished her little Feather Bow. "I can fight, too."

DK sighed. "Okay, kids, but stay out of trouble!"

"Hey!" Dixie frowned and put her hands on her hips. "I thought you didn't want to treat us like little kids anymore?"

"That was before you decided to turn this mission into a family trip. Now be quiet or they'll find us!"

Sulking, Dixie sat back down on the floor.

Diddy then perked up his ears. "Hey, DK!" he whispered. "Did you hear that? I think K.Rool is telling his men to prepare for battle."

"That's it, guys!" the burly ape said as he stood up from the ground. "We've waited long enough... time to show him we mean business!"

"Yeah, monkey business!" Tiny grinned.


	21. Tiny not so tiny

"I can't take care of you children now," Kaptain K.Rool grumbled. "Go and hide somewhere until the battle is over."

"Awww... can't we watch?" Kass asked hopefully.

"Are you crazy? Your mother is going to kill me if she finds out that something happened to you! Into that life boat with you, now!"

"Man, you're such a killjoy," Kip grumbled, but he and his sister obeyed reluctantly.

"Okay, everyone ready?" the kaptain shouted. "On my command... release the Zingers! All Kannons, open fire! Carrier Neckys, prepare to cross the water. ATTAAAACK!"

"ATTAAAAAACK!" several voices that sounded suspiciously monkey-like came from behind him.

"What the... hey, nobody's supposed to attack US!" K.Rool shouted and turned around... just to see how his first mate tumbled down to his feet.

"Blast..." K.Rool grumbled. "It had to be those accursed apes..."

Donkey Kong was pounding his chest as he jumped out of the ship's hold, and proceeded to pound every Kremling he came across afterwards. Diddy and Tiny tag-teamed by shooting their enemies with peanuts and feathers from their respective weapon, while Dixie attacked with flying kicks.

"Look out, Kremlings, here comes the chimp champ!" Diddy shouted while firing two peanuts at once.

Still, the Kongs' attack did not stop the cannoneers from firing their cannons, nor did it stop the Zinger trainers to release the deadly, spike-covered wasps or the Kremlings that were being carried across the waters towards Rogueport.

K.Rool laughed. "Those stubborn apes can try, but that town is still going down!"

* * *

On a rooftop, Ryoga closely watched the pirate ship. When he heard the roar of the cannons and saw the incoming flyers, he waved his arms and shouted: "Here they come! Prepare for our counterstrike!"

The Neckys, giant vultures tamed by the Kremlings, carried several pirates through the air and dropped them on the docks.

One of the Kremlings raised a cutlass and shouted: "C'mon, mates! Those townspeople are nothing to be worried about! Time to plunder and pillage!"

Yelling and waving their weapons through the air, the Kremlings stormed the main plaza of Rogueport... only to be greeted by two flanks of armed street thugs. Mafia and bandits alike were fighting together to drive off the pirates.

One Kritter gulped. "Well, crud!"

In front of the two factions, two weapon-wielding females were standing with big grins on their faces.

"Ready to pound some reptiles, Shampoo?" Ukyo smirked.

Shampoo twirled around her bonbori. "Shampoo ready when spatula girl is!"

Meanwhile, the Zingers had reached the town as well and started to drop the small, spherical items they were carrying.

Ryoga, his mother, and Bobbery, Cortez' first mate, were watching them.

"Shiver me timbers, those are orange grenades!" Bobbery grumbled when he saw how the green pellets exploded. "You ready against this, boy?"

Ryoga smirked. "That's not a problem at all, isn't it, Mom?"

Kimmy gestured ahead. "After you, son!"

"Gladly!" the Koopa boy with the spotted shell smiled while jumping into battle. His mother followed close behind.

Bobbery shook his huge mustache. "30 years as a sailor, and I've never seen two Koopas as reckless as those two... must run in the family."

Both parent and child jumped up at the unsuspecting wasps, retracted into their shells in mid-air and smacked them out of the sky. Their shells did not just protect them from the Zingers' spines, but also were hard enough to cause more than a headache.

'Well, I can handle them,' Ryoga thought. 'Still, I can't do anything about the cannon fire... if they keep up with this, the city will be reduced to rubble in a couple of hours. Let's hope that Cortez guy can handle them...'

* * *

"The Zingers are being obliterated by a couple of powerful Koopa warriors," one of K.Rools still standing lieutenants saluted. "And we can't see what's going on on the streets, but there seems to be a huge battle."

"Damn! This isn't going how it's supposed to go at all," the Kremling king grumbled. "And those darned Kongs just won't quit. Let's hope my elite guard can hold them off until after the city is reduced to rubble," he grinned. "And if everything fails, I can still use that potion Kamek sent me... where did you hide it, anyway?"

"Oh, no need to worry, Kaptain!" the Kremling smiled. "I hid it in a place where nobody will ever find it."

Just then, the muscular form of a Kruncha Kremling came flying through the air and landed on top of the unfortunate lieutenant. A burly ape came jumping and landed in front of the surprised K.Rool.

"Time to end this sailing trip, Kaptain!" DK grumbled while raising his fists.

Kaptain K.Rool grimaced and drew his gun. "Only if your little friends are bullet-proof, primate!"

And he fired his gun at Tiny Kong, who was blissfully unaware of what was going on while she shot feathers at her enemies.

DK gasped. "NO!" he shouted and jumped to the left, intercepting the projectile. The massive cannonball that came flying out of K.Rools huge gun slammed into his stomach and hurled him through the air. He hit the tall mast with a sickening crunch and slid down to the planks of the deck.

"DK!" Diddy shouted. He shot another peanut into the open muzzle of a Klap Trap and jumped from Kremling to Kremling until he had reached his buddy. Dixie was twirling around her air and swept everyone who came too close to her to their feet. "Out of my way!"

"Say something, big guy..." Diddy said and patted his friend's head.

"Ooooohh... big bananas..." DK groaned.

Diddy sighed in relief. "If he has bananas in mind, he's okay!" The monkey then stared at the Kremling King. "You're going to pay for this, King Coconut!"

"Please, the name's K.Rool!" the kaptain grinned. "So the little ones want to save their big friend, again? How cute..."

"Tiny, you better hide someplace," Dixie whispered to her scared sister. "We can take him on..."

"O-okay," Tiny nodded and scampered away, while Dixie stepped up next to her boyfriend.

"Step back!" K.Rool told his crew. "This fight is between me and the Kongs!"

Diddy raised his peanut popguns.

K.Rool just smirked and raised his own gun. "Well, who has the bigger one? You monkey kids are so pathetic..."

But suddenly, a loud yell was coming from the crow's nest. "K-k-kaptain! Another ship... another ship is approaching?"

"So what?" K.Rool yelled back. "Tell the Kannons to sink it down to the ocean floor!"

"B-b-but Kaptain... don't you see the flag? It's another pirate ship!"

The ghost ship came closer and closer. Behind the steering wheel, Cortez was towering, having taken his complete, four-armed skeleton shape. Two of his bone hands were grasping the steering wheel, while the other two were grasping a huge cutlass and an equally big rapier.

"Bring the ship about, you lazy scum!" he hollered. "Today is a good day to die!"

All over his ship, the ghostly flame spirits were preparing for battle, while the ghost ship came closer and closer to the Kremling ship.

The Kannons standing at the bow nearly dropped their cannons in shock. "Th-th-the undead!" they screamed. "We're all doomed!"

"The first one who leaves his post will become shark food!" K.Rool roared. "Show them what a true Kremling is made of! Get ready to board their ship!"

"Ready to board ship!" Cortez shouted to his men at the same time. "Give those salty sea dogs no quarter!"

And while Kremling pirates swung over to the ghost ship, the Embers floated over to the Kremling ship, and the battle was on. No one was shooting at the harbor anymore, now the ghost pirates had become the biggest threat.

"Well, at least I can finish you off..." K.Rool grumbled and took aim on Dixie and Diddy. "Any last words?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Tiny had searched for a place where she could hide. She gulped when she saw the ghost ship approaching. She didn't know on which side they were, and they were scary.

"M-maybe DK is right... and I'm really not big enough to be a hero..." she murmured. "Oh, where can I hide...?"

She then spotted the life boat hanging nearby and sighed. "That's just what I need," she said and jumped in... only to nearly land on the head of an equally small Kremling girl.

"Hey, watch it, monkey!" Kass shouted. "My Mom paid at least 10 Krem Koins for that hairdo."

"I'm s-sorry..." Tiny muttered. "Um, you're not going to fight me now, are you?"

"Naw, I just wanna watch the fight," Kip said while peering over the life boat's edge. "If only that damn mast wasn't in the way..."

"I just wish we were bigger, then Uncle K.Rool would respect us..." Kass sighed.

Tiny nodded. "I know how you feel..." she sighed. "DK never takes me serious because I'm still so little."

"Adults can be such a pain at times..." Kip grumbled.

Tiny sighed. "Oh well, what can we do..." Her eyes then suddenly caught sight of something. "Hey, what's that?"

"What do you mean?" Kass asked.

"There, hidden in that corner... isn't that some sort of vial?"

Kip picked up the little vial and stared at the purple liquid inside. "Maybe some sort of potion?" he wondered.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Kass snapped. "Uncle K.Rool never used magic to reach his goals, besides, he would never hide a magic potion in the life boat, would he?"

"I guess you're right..." Kip grumbled. "Oh well, I guess it's just grape juice..."

"I'm feeling kind of thirsty," Tiny admitted.

Kip gave the vial to her. "Here, you can have it! I hate grapes..."

Tiny smiled. "Thank you!"

Now, this was actually the potion Kamek had brewed by using Kodachi's rose... but he wouldn't entrust K.Rool with the full power of that stuff. Instead, he mixed it with water, thereby reducing its powers significantly. Still enough to take over one single port town, he believed.

But he never imagined that this vial would find its way into the hands of a young monkey-girl with an inferiority complex.

Tiny sighed. "I really wish I was bigger..." she murmured. Then she giggled. "Big and beautiful... just like Candy."

And then she swallowed the potion with one big gulp.

Kip and Kass got thrown back when a puff of smoke surrounded their new monkey friend, and some unknown force made her grow in size.

Tiny blinked. "Wow... what happened?"

She looked down. "I am... big!"

She had not just grown to be as big as Candy Kong, but actually turned into a teenaged monkey girl. Her clothes had changed as well... instead of her blue pants, she was wearing a white tube top and a pair of baggy, turquoise pants. Also, from her ears were dangling two big earrings. The only thing that had stayed the same was her knit cap.

Kip looked up at her with envy. "I want a swig of that grape juice!"

His sister had picked up the vial and noticed that it was empty. "Aw, bummer..."

* * *

When the sun was rising over the gentle hills of Yoshi's Island, the area around the racing track was already bustling with activity. For word about this upcoming race between two of the island's fastest Yoshis had already spread, and everyone who learned of it wanted to witness this spectacle.

Long stands have been put up, and the first spectators were already waiting breathlessly for the big event to begin. Yoshis, Shyguys and others were cheering on their favorite racer, waved around flags that had either green-spotted eggs or spiked collars on them and whistled.

On one side of the racing track, the racers were getting ready. Boshi was doing several stretches, sit-ups and knee-bends. Feeling fit enough, he walked up to the starting line.

While walking past Yoshi and his friends, he gave the green dinosaur a sneer, then he gestured at Kasumi. "Yoshi yoshi!" he proclaimed, then he positioned himself in front of the track.

Luigi nearly fell off the stool he was sitting on. "H-he can't be serious!" he squawked.

Yoshi shook his head. "Yoshi..."

Cyan patted his saddle comfortingly and nuzzled his side, while Sandy looked as nervous and edgy as ever.

Kasumi blinked. "I don't understand... what did he want?"

"He... he made it clear that this time around, Yoshi's rider should NOT be allowed to be a plumber. Instead... he insisted that you should ride Yoshi during the race.

Kasumi was surprised. "Oh my... me? Take part in a race? That is certainly unexpected... but why would he even want someone to ride on Yoshi?"

"Well, that's-a because the last time, when he lost against him, my bro rode on Yoshi. This time around, Boshi wants to even up the partaking sides. That's why he made sure to find a rider of his own."

They all looked over to where Boshi was waiting. A green-skinned guy with a mask and a striped shirt was standing next to him, giving them a snide grin.

"Yo, losers! This time around, me and my Rookie are gonna show you who's boss!"

It was Popple, the self-proclaimed 'Shadow Thief'.

"I can't believe it..." Luigi groaned. "Of all people, it had to be that guy..."

Kasumi smiled. "Oh, he certainly looks like a nice fellow."

Luigi sweatdropped. "Kasumi, listen... you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Oh, don't be silly," Kasumi smiled. "It's not a bother at all. And we don't really have a choice, do we? If we want Yoshi-kun to win this race, he'll need a rider. The only ones available are you and me... and Boshi won't accept you. So, I will do it."

Luigi was surprised at Kasumi's willingness. "Okeydokey then... but be careful out there, you hear me? Boshi can be a rough fellow, and don't let me get started about Popple..."

"I'm sure I will be able to take care of myself, but thanks for worrying," Kasumi said as she sat up on Yoshi's saddle. "Shall we go, Yoshi-kun?"

The green dinosaur nodded. "Yoshi!"

Before they left, Cyan walked up to them one last time, gave her boyfriend a hug for good luck, and took Kasumi's hand, giving the eldest Tendo sister a reassuring smile.

And when she pulled back her blue paws, Kasumi found a couple of cookies in them, all of them shaped like little Yoshi heads...

"Oh my..." she murmured. "I wonder what these are for..."

Yoshi hadn't noticed anything about what Cyan had given Kasumi, he narrowed his eyes and confidently walked up to the racing track as well.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the hero of Yoshi's Island stepped up next to his rival.

Next to the track, a little podium was standing, for the commentator of the race. It was a stout man with huge lips and a big, blue top hat.

"And here we are, on this nice day, on Yoshi's Island racing track, the only place for Yoshi races! My name is MC Ballyhoo, and together with my good friend Big Top, I am here to tell you everything about this awe-inspiring event."

"That's right," his top hat started talking. "And what a race this is going to be. The two contestants are Yoshi, the most renowned hero of the dinosaur race which had given him his name, and the clawed dino with an attitude, Yoshi's long-time rival Boshi! According to the rules, the both are allowed to carry a rider on their back."

"That's right, and unlike the two Yoshis, we haven't heard much of them before," MC Ballyhoo continued. "We have Miss Kasumi Tendo, a modest and gentle beauty from Japan, on planet Earth, and a very shady fellow who simply introduced himself as 'Popple the Shadow Thief'. But it is said that his home country is the Beanbean Kingdom."

"Well, let's just hope they will give each other a nice, fair race," Big Top continued. "It looks like all of the contestants are raring to go. I say we get this show on the road!"

"Right you are, Big Top, and there is Bruce the Bob-Omb, a nice fellow from Koopa Village who agreed to give the starting signal."

The blue Bob-omb walked up next to the starting line. "Okay, you all ready?" he asked. "Everyone, get set... ready... GO!!"

And after saying 'GO!!', he exploded, giving both Yoshis the signal to dash off.

"And there they go!" MC Ballyhoo shouted. "The great race for the Super Happy Tree has begun, folks! May the best Yoshi win!"

* * *

Akane was slowly walking along the corridor, taking care not to step on her tongue, which had rolled out of her mouth again.

"I hate thith thing..." she mumbled while putting it back into her mouth. "I hope I find thothe virutheth quickly, tho I can get back to noral thoon..."

She walked into the Lumas' bathroom, careful not to hit the doorframe with the Rex horns on her head.

She looked around. "Well, they're not here, either..." she muttered. "Oh well, I guess I can wash this awful Yoshi taste out of my mouth..."

She approached the wash basin, not noticing the blue shape that was hiding behind the shower curtains.

While Chill the blue virus quietly opened the curtains and charged up cold energy in his fingertips, Akane reached for the faucet and turned the knob.

She frowned when the flowing water coming from the faucet froze solid.

And then, she lashed out with her Cobrat's tail, catching Chill off guard, and smacking him backwards, so that he stumbled into the bath tub.

Before he could struggle back to his feet, she raised her mallet.

"VIRUS NO BAKA!" she yelled and brought her trusty weapon down.

Chill let out a chortling grunt and was flattened into a comical, flat shape that was comically waddling around on the bottom of the wash tub.

Akane then took a few Megavitamins. "Time for your medicine!" she grinned.

Chill's eyes widened, and he frantically tried to shake his head, but in his flattened state, there wasn't much he could do.

Akane took a blue-yellow pill and a solid blue pill and threw them on top of the virus. Chill let out a screech of protest, before he, along with the blue halves of the Megavitamins, vanished into thin air.

The yellow half of the blue-yellow pill clattered into the wash tub and Akane sighed with relief.

"That's one taken care of," she murmured. "Two more to go..."

She yelped in surprise, when suddenly, the dorsal fin of a cheep-cheep appeared on her back.

"I really hope I'm gonna find that yellow virus next..." she groaned. "So I can get rid of these things..."


	22. Yoshi's Cookie

The black pipe appeared in the middle of the street, where it received quite a few curious stares. The Nerimians were used to many, unusual things, but it still didn't happen every day that a pipe big enough for a human to fit through appeared in the middle of the neighborhood, out of thin air.

And then, even more remarkable, a big, black turtle shell came shooting out of the pipe. It shot across the crowd's heads and disappeared behind the rooftops.

Right away, the curious, black pipe vanished back down into the ground.

The people shrugged and went back to their daily work. This was Nerima...

On a certain rooftop, a couple of streets away from the spot where the black pipe had appeared, Kodachi the black-shelled Koopa was coming back out of her shell. After putting up the portable warp pipe, she had used all the momentum of her shell spin to shoot through the pipe, so nobody would have been able to see her turtle form. She could have turned back into a human, but as she didn't know where in Nerima the pipe would have brought her, and she didn't want to be spotted by certain people, she decided to quickly shell spin through the pipe.

But now, as she stood back up, she stretched her whole body until the hard shell from her back had vanished, her legs were long and slender again, and there wasn't even a trace of a turtle beak in her face.

Clad in her usual gymnastics leotard, Kodachi Kuno looked herself over.

"Looks like the Black Rose is back in town..." she murmured. She then looked across the roofs of Nerima. "Maybe I can have a small lunch somewhere before heading back to the manor..."

She then shook her head. "Aw, who am I kidding? If I don't go back there right now, I will never go back. I want to know for sure. I want to know if the Kuno mansion is still a place I can call... home..."

She gracefully leapt down from the roof and crossed the street. But before she could reach the other side, she heard a strange noise...

"BWEEEEEEEEE!"

Kodachi stopped and blinked. "That... sounded familiar, somehow..."

"LOOK OUT!" someone shouted, and Kodachi gasped in surprise when she saw the huge boar trampling down the street, heading directly towards her.

There was a girl in a nice dress sitting on top of the heavy beast, and she was already trying to slow down her mount, but they were still too fast.

In the last minute, Kodachi leapt up into the air and landed behind the huge pig, as it skidded to a halt.

The cute, female rider of the pig gasped as she jumped off its back and ran towards Kodachi. "Oh, I am so sorry! Katsunishiki was sooo fast, and I didn't see you in time... I nearly ran you over! Can you forgive me?"

"Just look out the next time you decide to use such primitive conveyance," Kodachi grumbled, part of her old personality showing through.

The girl looked slightly offended, but didn't protest. Obviously, she was still ashamed of her carelessness. "Katsunishiki normally isn't this wild," she apologized, meaning the pig. "But we both were pretty excited... it's been a long time since we were in Nerima. And I was so looking forward to see my boyfriend again..." She gushed. "I kinda spurred him on, not even thinking about the consequences."

"Well, nobody got hurt," Kodachi said. She was a bit intrigued by the strange girl and her pig, but as any other Nerima resident, she was used to all sorts of oddities. She had more important things to take care of... reaffirming her identity, for one.

"Say, you don't happen to know him, do you?" the girl asked Kodachi just as she wanted to leave. "His name is Ryoga Hibiki, and, well, he tends to get lost pretty easily..."

Kodachi turned around to face the girl. "I... know him," she slowly said. So this was supposed to be her brother's girlfriend? He didn't even know he had one... and from everything she had heard, it always seemed to her that he had a crush on Akane Tendo.

"You do? Oh, that's great! Did he mention me before? My name is Akari Unryu, I'm a sumo pig trainer. He's a cute guy, isn't he...? Just like a pig!"

Kodachi blinked. Then she looked at the huge sumo pig in front of them. There were many things she would call a pig, cute was none of it.

"He is... travelling at the moment," Kodachi stated. "But I know his current whereabouts."

"He isn't in Nerima?" Akari asked in a disappointed voice. "Awww, and I was so hoping to meet him... can you show me the way?"

Kodachi fumbled around nervously. "Well, it's kind of far away..."

"That doesn't matter! Katsunishiki never gets tired, and he can get me any place in no time... as long as he is still in Japan, that is," she giggled.

Kodachi chuckled. "Funny you should mention this..."

"Say, what kind of relationship do you have with Ryoga?" Akari asked. "Are you a classmate of his?"

"Well, let me put it this way..." Kodachi carefully said. "He and I... have the same parents."

Akari looked at her in surprise. Then a big smile appeared on her face. "So that means you're his sister? That's great! Then you are sort of my sister-in-law, since Ryoga and I are practically married." She gave the surprised Black Rose a short hug. "I'm glad to meet you, sister-in-law! What's your name?"

Startled by this sudden question, Kodachi stammered: "Oh, my name is Kodachi K..."

She stopped herself. Indeed, what was her family name? Kuno? Or Koopa?

"Kodachi Hibiki, right?" Akari smiled. "He never told me he had a sister... are the two of you very close?"

Kodachi didn't know how to answer that one, but she was saved by the horn of an impatient car driver.

"Hey!" the burly man shouted while leaning out of his car's window. "Get that pig off the road!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Akari blushed. "M-maybe we should continue this discussion in a quieter place, Kodachi-san... how about the park?"

Kodachi did not protest.

* * *

Nabiki smiled when she saw the long line of Toads, but also Goombas, Koopas, Shyguys and Piantas standing in front of her booth.

Next to her, a pink-capped Toad girl was sitting and watched every newcomer carefully. Right now, she was examining a young Wiggler that was waiting breathlessly.

Finally, she shook her head. "Nope, you won't do! Next!"

"B-b-but I've been waiting for hours," the giant caterpillar protested. "C-can't I at least get a small peck on the cheek...?"

Toadette looked over to Nabiki, who shook her head. "Sorry," Toadette said. "You read the sign, right? No insects, slime creatures or Piranha Plants/relative of Piranha Plants. So, next one, please!"

The Wiggler let his head hang and shuffled away, while the next customer came up to the booth, a nervous Shyguy.

Toadette looked him over, then she nodded. "You will do."

"Thanks!" the Shyguy smiled, his mask copying his joyful expression. He walked over to Nabiki, who held out her hand.

"Payment in advance," she said. "50 Golden Coins."

"Sure, no problem!" the Shyguy smiled and pulled out his wallet. He then poured the jingling coins into a box standing next to Nabiki.

Nabiki smiled. "Thank you! Now, take off your mask..."

"Wh-what?" the Shyguy protested. "I... I can't do that... can't you just kiss me on the mask?"

Nabiki frowned. "Now, I don't want to give my customers the wrong impression. Payment for smooches means payment for smooches... and a real smooch is always applied to the face. Now, off with the mask!"

The Shyguy gulped, then he sighed and hesitantly reached up for his mask. With shaking arms, he finally took it off...

Nabiki leaned closer and her eyes went wide. She blinked several times.

"Wow..." she muttered. "That's not what I expected at all..."

"Um, no good?" the Shyguy asked meekly.

She shook her head. "Naw, that's okay, I'm just... surprised, that's all."

She pursed her lips... and gave the Shyguy a soft smooch on his cheek.

The little guy blushed and nearly swooned. "Th-thank you..." he muttered after putting his mask back on.

Nabiki winked. "No, I thank YOU!"

"Okay, next one!" Toadette shouted after the Shyguy waddled away on shaky legs.

Just then, Toadsworth came walking up to the booth. He gasped. "Wh-what in Eldstar's name are you doing here, girls?"

Nabiki smirked. "Why, isn't it obvious? I've decided to open up a kissing booth... it's really amazing how many Mushroom residents like cute, human girls like me... while never having seeing one except for Princess Peach."

"Human girls are a rarity around here..." a red-shelled Koopa in the line sighed. "I love my wife dearly, but... this is the first chance I ever had to be kissed by a human girl! And you are sooo... sooo..." He blushed. "So cute..."

Nabiki grinned. "Why, thank you!"

"Have you no shame?" Toadsworth grumbled. "Toadette, and you're even helping her! I thought better of you!"

"Hey, have you taken a look at our income yet?" Toadette giggled. "Over 800 Golden Coins in one afternoon, and there are many more to come."

"Th-this is unacceptable," the elder Toad blustered. "An outrage! I demand that you quit this, right this instance! Why, if Princess Peach would know about this..."

Nabiki frowned. "You are just nagging because you can't get anything at your old age..."

"E-excuse me?" Toadsworth sputtered.

Toadette snickered. "Yeah, you old coot can only dream what it is like to be kissed by a cute girl like Nabiki... or me, for that matter. You don't know anything about the urges of young Toads..."

"I'll have you know that I was quite popular among the ladies in my time!" the old-timer gloated. "A real gentlemen, oh yes! And the girls were true ladies... they would never throw themselves at any man like you are doing."

"You mean like this?" Nabiki grinned, leaned forward and caught Toadsworth's mushroom head with both hands. Before he could protest, she silenced him with a wet kiss right on his mouth.

When she let go of him, the old Toad was seeing stars. Smiling stars that were circling around his head...

"Oooooohhh..." he murmured and stumbled around. "That... that was..."

Nabiki smiled. "THAT was a first class Tendo kiss, you old dog! I hope you liked it, because it won't happen again!"

"Yes... yes, that was... very nice..." Toadsworth muttered. He shook his head. He hadn't felt like this since he and Racle T. had been a pair of youngsters...

"I'm glad you're satisfied. Now then... that's 50 Golden Coins!"

Toadsworth's eyes went wide.

Nabiki grinned. 'Damn, I'm good,' she thought. Then she looked along the endless line of customers, who were standing in the hot sun.

'Hmm, maybe I should have let Toadette put up a stand with drinks and snacks...' she thought. 'A pity Kasumi has left with Luigi and that dinosaur... her cookies would have attracted even more customers.'

* * *

"Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

Hearing all those cheers made Kasumi smile, even though she didn't know if they were actually saying Yoshi's name... or something else in their Yoshi tongue.

She had no time to ponder that, though, as Boshi and Popple had caught up with them.

The thief from the Beanbean Kingdom grinned at her when he was next to her. Boshi bared his teeth and snapped at Yoshi's flanks with his teeth.

Yoshi avoided the attack, but that forced him to fall back.

"And Boshi gains the lead!" MC Ballyhoo shouted into his microphone. "It looks like he and his riders are pulling all the tricks to win this race. Will Yoshi and his cute little rider be able to catch up with them in time?"

Kasumi sighed. It didn't look too good for them. The finish line was coming closer and closer, and Yoshi looked like he was at the end of his tether. He panted heavily, and his feet didn't quite move as fast as they did when they had started this race.

"Maybe he just needs a little boost..." Kasumi murmured. She then remembered the little cookies Cyan had given her before the race. She took one and held it next to the tired Yoshi's head.

"Here, Yoshi-kun, have one!"

Yoshi's eyes brightened when he saw his second favorite food. His long tongue lashed out of his mouth and scooped up the tasty cookies.

After gulping them down, he felt a surge of energy going through his body.

"YOSHI!" he shouted as he jumped up into the air, pedaled his feet and took off at full speed.

Boshi and Popple barely had the time to gasp when a green comet came shooting past them and crossed the finish line.

"AND THE RACE IS OVER!" Big Top shouted. "The winners are... YOSHI AND KASUMI! After everything seemed lost, they came out of nowhere and turned the tables on their opponents."

"And you know what this means, folks," MC Ballyhoo grinned. "They have won the Super Happy Tree back for all of Yoshi's Islands inhabitants!"

"YOSHI! YOSHI YOSHI YOSHI!" all of the spectators shouted. And this time, Kasumi never doubted that they were calling out her green friend's name.

She smiled and waved around from Yoshi's saddle. "We won, Yoshi! We won!" she shouted excitedly.

It wasn't demure, not was it modest, but this time, she didn't care. Even girls like her were allowed to enjoy life at times like this, right?

Popple had jumped off the blue dinosaur's back and glared at him angrily. "That's it! I'm getting myself a new Rookie! It's your fault that we lost this race!"

But when Boshi angrily bared his teeth and growled at him, the Shadow Thief had second thoughts about what he just said.

"Um, d-did I say it was your fault? No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean, it was all my fault, all my fault, why are you looking at me like that, stop it..."

"YOSHI!" Boshi angrily growled and leapt at the green-skinned thief. Popple yelped and jumped into the air, barely avoiding Boshi's sharp teeth. He then ran along the racing track, swerving right and left to dodge more bites of the angry dinosaur bully.

Luigi snickered as he came walking up to his friends. "Wow, those-a two look like they are already training for the next race, huh?"

"Yes, but they are doing it wrong," Kasumi giggled. "He's supposed to ride on his dinosaur, not run away from him."

Cyan, Sandy and all of Yoshi's friends also came running, and the blue female gave her boyfriend a hug around his neck, and a soft kiss on his big snout.

"Yoshi..." she said softly.

Yoshi grinned. He would never give anything for such a Yoshi kiss, never!


	23. Dusty Desert

The door leading to the huge balcony flew open, and a red virus flew outside. It looked up, with fears in its eyes, and shuddered.

"S-stay back..." it told the monstrosity that came closer. "I'll burn you!" A small flicker of a flame appeared on Fever's fingertip.

A massive form dragged itself outside. It had the body of a Dino Rhino, the head of a Toad, the horns of a Rex, the dorsal fin of a Cheep-Cheep, a Cobrat's tail, a Yoshi's tongue and a pair of huge Albatoss wings. The only human body parts left were a pair of slender arms that were holding onto a mallet and a couple of Megavitamins.

'Dammit, why does Weird always have to go overboard with his transformations?' he thought to himself.

The chimera that had once been Akane let out a loud roar, which sounded like the bark of a Chain Chomp combined with the bellow of a dinosaur. Fever threw his fireball, but it harmlessly bounced off the thick dinosaur armor of her Dino Rhino body. Akane flapped her wings once and leapt on top of the unfortunate virus, pressing him down to the floor.

Fever struggled with all his might. "Lemme go! Lemme go!"

Using her prehensile tongue, she took a couple of vitamin pills and used her two arms to force his mouth open.

A deep rumble came out of her mouth: "Have a nice meal..." And then she dropped the Megavitamins.

With a strangled yelp, the red virus disappeared.

Akane groaned and slumped to the ground.

'I did it...' she thought. 'I beat the second one. But for what?' She stared down at her mutated form. 'This virus has transformed me beyond recognition. I can barely drag my massive weight across the floor, and my wings aren't powerful enough to carry me... what if I have to stay like this?'

She sobbed, and a tear ran down her cute Toad face, the only cute thing in the middle of her body. 'I can't go back home like this... what will father say? And my sisters... and Ranma..." She sobbed even louder. 'Ranma... he'll never love me like this... what am I gonna do?'

A quiet giggle caught her attention. There, right in front of her, the yellow form of Weird the virus was floating, in mid-air. He stuck out his tongue.

"So, you beat my two brothers, eh?" he asked. "Well, doesn't matter! I don't need them... within a few days, I can spread my sickness throughout all the planets, including the Mushroom World... and then everyone will be like you... a combination of different creatures, a walking freakshow! Isn't that funny?"

"F-funny?" Akane asked, her deep voice sounding quite strange as it came out of her Toad mouth. "You are destroying people's lives, and you say this is FUNNY?"

"Well, at least you're still alive, aren't you?" Weird smirked. "Chill would have frozen you for all eternity, Fever would have burnt your bones... is this really so bad?"

"I... I'm a monster..." Akane grumbled, trying to pick up her mallet and the remaining vitamins. But she saw that the change was already spreading to her arms.

'Oh no...' she thought.

Weird grinned. "Ah, it's speeding up, isn't it? Soon enough, your mind will be the only thing left of you... and even that won't stay the same forever. Maybe I'll even make you my pet. How does that sound?"

Akane grimaced while her arms slowly turned black and metallic. "You... have forgotten one important thing..." she snarled.

"Oh? And that would be?"

Akane roared as she aimed her newly-formed Bullet Bill Blaster arms at the floating virus. "I'LL NEVER BE YOUR PET!"

Two mindless Bullet Bills then came shooting out of her arms, hitting the yellow virus squarely in the middle of his bloated stomach. He wailed in pain while plummeting down into the courtyard deep beneath him. "NOOOOO! Why? Why me?"

Akane gathered all of her strength to waddle over to the balcony railing and looked down, where Weird was lying on his backside. She carefully scooped up three of the Megavitamins with her Yoshi tongue and threw them down.

'Please make them hit in the right order...' she silently pleaded.

Her prayers were answered. The yellow halves of the pills were enough to finish the last of the virus trio off. Just as his brothers did, Weird gave off a short squeak, and vanished.

All of a sudden, Akane found herself back in her human form, lying on her stomach. She scrambled back up to her feet and touched her whole body with her human hands. She looked at her feet, felt her backside and even stuck out her tongue, hoping that it was NOT long enough for her to see.

"I... I'm a human again..." she whispered. Then she grinned. "Hooray, I'm human! I'm human! I... Oh god! Ranma! Mario! I've got to go and help them!"

She quickly picked up her mallet and ran back inside.

* * *

The wooden tank of the Koopa army was coming to a halt in the middle of a wide, dusty desert.

Morton Koopa Jr. looked up from his tank controls and let his gaze sweep across the endless dunes. "Well, here we are..." he grumbled. "The kingdom of Sarasaland... a big pile of sand... oh boy, oh joy..."

His bulky brother Roy came up behind him and growled.

"Yes, I know we shouldn't be here," Morton nodded. "Pops never had any interest in this desolate land. What are we doing here? Why are we even listening to Peach? She's not our real mother!"

Roy grunted something.

"No, I don't want to talk with Junior about this," Morton snarled. "Keep your intelligent comments to yourself, okay, bro?"

Roy just shrugged, then he tapped on his brother's shoulder and pointed his claw into a certain direction.

"Yes, I see it. What is it? A pyramid? Well, the royal family of Sarasaland is supposed to be wealthy... maybe there are many treasures hidden within that tomb." He grinned. "Okay, maybe our little visit in here wasn't as useless as I thought. Let's go check it out!"

He turned around in his seat and spoke into a megaphone. "Attention, Koopa Krew! Our next goal is that pyramid over there. We're gonna seize it in the name of the Koopa Kingdom. All troops... move out!"

The Koopas in Morton's army groaned as they dragged their tired bodies further through the desert. Neither of them had the strength to look up. And if they did, they might not have cared, even if they had seen the big bees that were circling above their heads.

Both bees were holding spears. They looked down at the Koopa caravan with big interest.

"You go and inform the king," one Bunbun told her colleague. "I'll stay and see what they're up to."

"Roger that!" the other Bunbun spy saluted and buzzed off, into the direction of the big pyramid.

Shortly afterwards, she flew into a hidden entrance at the pyramid's top and buzzed down a vertical air shaft, until she popped into a huge room that was only illuminated by several torches. The walls were covered with ancient hieroglyphs, and several stone statues showing ancient kings and creatures were standing around.

On a big podium, two lion-like creatures were crouching. They were wearing striped, egyptian-styled headdresses on their heads and resembled sphinxes. They were the Gao, the guardians of the pyramid.

In their middle, a huge Gao was standing, on his four powerful legs, his tail waving around. This was King Totomesu, the self-proclaimed ruler of the desert.

"Forgive me, my king," the Bunbun said and knelt down in front of him. "But an army of Koopas is heading in our direction. And I clearly heard one of them say that they are planning to steal our treasures."

"So, they're after our gold, are they?" Totomesu roared. "Let's see if they even manage to enter the pyramid. And if they do... even better. Princess Daisy might have imprisoned us in here after she found out that we helped Tatanga during his invasion... but if those Koopas are stupid enough as I believe, then we shall be free very soon... and then we will show Daisy and the whole kingdom that I am the one and only king of Sarasaland!"

And he spat out a huge plume of fire that flew across his servant's head.

* * *

King K.Rool howled in pain when the mighty ape hit him with a powerful haymaker, which was his trademark punch, the so-called 'Giant Punch'.

Diddy and Dixie watched with amusement as the ruler of the Kremlings soared across the sea, turning into a little spot at the horizon.

"Nicely done," Dixie smiled. "I'll give him ten points."

Diddy frowned. "A little bit too much topspin... he can do better. I'm gonna give him nine points."

DK wiped his hands. "Okay, I think we're done here. Most of K.Rool's flunkies have either fled or are knocked out. Maybe we should go and take a look if the townspeople need some help."

"Yeah, I suppose that's a good idea," Dixie nodded. "Hey Tiny, where are you? Time to go!"

"Um... over here, sis!" came the meek response of the twin-ponytailed monkey as she looked out of the life boat.

Not noticing the obvious change in her sister's appearance, Dixie looked at her impatiently. "C'mon, we don't have all day! The Kremlings are gone, so there's no need to be staying around."

"Hey, we're still here!" Kass complained as she and her brother appeared next to Tiny.

Dixie gasped. "Y-you two? What are you doing here? Can't you go bother someone else?"

"We're not here because of you, banana breath!" Kip grumbled. "We just didn't want to stay at home."

"Well, whatever! Your uncle must be back on Crocodile Island now, so why don't you head back as well?"

"Hey, we can't exactly fly!" Kass protested. "And there's no way that I'm gonna let me hit by one of that brute's punches!"

"Whatever! Come on, Tiny, let's leave those idiots behind..."

"Um... sis..." Tiny muttered.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

Tiny finally stood up to her full height. "I'd say so..." she nodded.

Dixie looked up at the tall form of her younger sister. "What the bananas...?" she managed to blurt out.

"We found some cool grape juice," Kip grinned. "It makes you big. Too bad she drank the last bit of it..."

Diddy and DK came up to them. "DK..." Diddy murmured. "Tiny's almost as tall as you..."

"Not quite," the burly ape grumbled. "But still a bit too big for a girl of her age. I'm just gonna take a guess and say that wasn't grape juice."

"It was some sort of potion," Tiny explained. "It was hidden in the life boat. I didn't think it would actually be a potion, and I was thirsty, so I drank it."

"Oh boy..." DK sighed. "Tiny, what am I gonna do with you?"

"She definitely can't stay like this!" Dixie huffed. "We have to find a way to turn her back."

"You're just jealous because I'm bigger than you," Tiny giggled and stuck out her tongue.

"Girls, please, we have another problem at hand," Diddy spoke up.

"What could be worse than that?" Dixie asked and pointed at her sister.

"Those two, obviously," Diddy said and pointed at Kip and Kass. "With K.Rool gone, who's gonna take them back to Crocodile Island?"

"Who said we wanna go back there?" Kip grinned. "I've never been on a vacation without my parents or Uncle K.Rool."

DK scratched his head. "Well, the remaining Kremlings will probably sail this ship back home... we could leave them in their care."

"I'm afraid that is not an option," a calm voice said. The monkeys and the Kremling twins turned around and saw how the ghost ship had approached them. On board, among the ghostly sailors, they could see the burly form of a Pianta.

"Excuse me, my name is Frankie, I'm the head of the Pianta Syndicate in Rogueport... and on behalf of the citizens, I declare these Kremlings our prisoners."

"Us?" Kip and Kass gasped.

Frankie looked at them for a while and shook his head. "No, we don't imprison children. After all, Captain Cortez told me he didn't see you joining the fight."

"That's right," the skeletal ghost captain nodded. "All of your attackers are either long gone or lying in front of you, out cold."

A couple of Koopas stepped up next to Frankie. "You must be Donkey Kong," the female addressed him. "I've heard many things of you from Mario."

"Only good things, I hope," DK grinned. "How's the old plumber doing?"

Diddy cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but we still have a couple of problems back there." And he nodded towards Tiny and the twins.

"That's right," Dixie said. "My sister drank a magical potion and grew up into a teen... she's really just a little girl, you know?"

"I'm not that little..." Tiny pouted.

Kimmy and Ryoga looked at each other.

"Kamek?" Ryoga asked.

"Looks like it," Kimmy sighed. "We know he hired the Kremlings to attack Rogueport, and we also have seen the effects of his potion..."

"You know how to turn Tiny back to normal?" Dixie asked in a hopeful voice.

"But I wanna stay like this..." Tiny whined.

"Well, that's kinda... complicated," Ryoga said. "Something similar happened to Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, and my friends are on a search to gather the things we need for an antidote."

"Princess Peach as well?" DK muttered. "By Cranky's dentures... why would that Kamek guy brew up such a strange potion?"

"To increase his magical powers, naturally," Kimmy frowned. "He wants to take over the Koopa Kingdom and take revenge on me... I'm his daughter."

"And I'm his grandson," Ryoga explained. "And we are trying whatever we can do to stop him."

"Well, that's good to know," DK said. "Well, maybe we should bring Tiny to the Mushroom Kingdom, then, and hope that your friends manage to find what they need for that antidote."

Tiny smiled. She didn't like the idea of having to give up this nice, big body, but she always wanted to visit the Mushroom Kingdom. "Okay, I'll go," she finally said.

"And I'm coming, too," Dixie shouted. "I have to make sure that Tiny doesn't get herself in trouble again."

"I'm not a baby anymore, sis!" Tiny grumbled and crossed her arms under her ample bosom, which caused Dixie to glare at her with envy.

"And them?" Diddy asked while looking at Kip and Kass. "If you imprison the Kremlings, they have no way to return back to their own island. And I don't think we should allow them to run free..."

"Just try to stop us, primate!" Kip shouted and blew a raspberry. "As for me, I'm out off here!"

The little Kremling tried to run to the ship's bow, but was stopped by DK, who scooped him and his sister up with his powerful arms.

"You stay here, both of you!" he told them with a dark frown.

"Hey, I didn't try to run away," Kass protested. "Put me down, you ugly ape!"

DK sighed. "I guess we have no other choice but to take them with us... at least until we head back for DK Island. We can drop them off at Crocodile Island on the way."

"Okay, but I hope you hold them at bay," Kimmy frowned.

Ryoga chuckled. "Relax, Mom, they're just a couple of kids! How bad can they be?"

"Famous last words..." Diddy murmured.

* * *

Kodachi nervously stood in front of the Kuno mansion.

"Well, here I am..." she muttered.

Akari put her hand on her new 'sister-in-law's' shoulder. "Hey, relax! It's going to be all right. I doubt they're gonna bite off your head or anything..."

"No, just shave off my hair..." Kodachi grumbled. "But I guess it's my own fault not to realize that such a family could have never been my true one... even though I wasn't much better than them..."

Just before Kodachi could reach for the door, a dark shape landed in front of them. Akari stepped back with a frightened yelp.

"Mistress Kodachi! You have returned!"

Kodachi smiled when she recognized the loyal ninja retainer. How could she ever have dreamt that he would chase her away?

"Sasuke, I am glad to see you," she smiled.

The little ninja was taken aback. "R-really? You are... glad to see me?" He sniffled. Never before has any member of the family told him that.

"Are my father or brother at home?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, they are," Sasuke nodded. "Although I do advise you to take care of what you say in Master Tatewaki's presence... he still doesn't believe that you could ever be adopted."

"And what does father say?" she asked a bit nervously.

"Well, he hasn't said much about that yet. When I told him you were gone, he just said something about pineapples and hula music... I wasn't quite sure what he meant."

Kodachi sighed. "Very well then... let's get this over with."

Akari smiled. "You can do it, sister-in-law!"

Sasuke was surprised. Sister-in-law? "Mistress Kodachi... does that mean you have finally accepted your true family?"

"I have, Sasuke," Kodachi nodded. "And I was a fool to think that they could be monsters. They are the most caring, understanding parents I could wish for..." Her eyes teared up when she said that. "Still, I was raised as a Kuno and I will always see this house as my home. I want to speak to father about what happened. I don't know how much of it he will understand, or if he's even willing to listen, but I have to give it a try."

Sasuke thought about it. 'Well, if Mistress Kodachi can change like this, who knows? Maybe more miracles can happen...'

He opened the door. "Please, come this way, mistress! And your friend as well."

Akari smiled. "Oh, such a polite man!" She turned back around to the street, where her sumo pig was waiting. "Katsunishiki, I'll be back soon. Should I need you, I'm gonna whistle."

Katsunishiki grunted in response and watched how his mistress followed Kodachi and Sasuke inside.

Kodachi followed the ninja into the living room, where her father and brother were sitting. Tatewaki was reading one of his horrible poetry books, while Kuno Senior was holding a brochure about Hawaii - what else?

The principal lowered his brochure and gave Kodachi one of his trademark grins. "Aloha, wahine! Ya finally back home, eh?"

Tatewaki put his book away as well. "I see you could escape the clutches of the evil monsters, sister," he frowned. "Now, shall I glad that you have returned or not?"

"A good day to you as well, brother dearest!" Kodachi grumbled. "In case you are interested, I missed you... both of you. That is the reason why I came back, even after finding out that I am NOT a Kuno at birth."

The wide grin on the principal's face disappeared as quickly as a Hawaiian surfer who miscalculated the danger of the wave he was going to ride. It was a truly puzzling view... never before had Kodachi seen him with such a thoughtful expression.

"Truly, you jest, sister," Tatewaki proclaimed. "Wasn't it you who always insisted that all the low commoners are beneath you? How else could this be, if you weren't a Kuno, I ask you?" He narrowed his eyes. "Or do you see yourself as a peasant as well?"

"Tachi, cut that out," the principal said calmly. His voice was devoid of any accent, and full of sorrow. He took off his shades, revealing eyes that were filled with regret. Kodachi shuddered when he looked at her.

"F-father?" she muttered.

"Dachi... forgive me!" he finally said. "I should have told you a long time ago... but after your mother died, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I saw how you and Tachi took pride in being members of the noble house Kuno, and I was certain it would break your heart to find out that you were one of those you were despising so much... a commoner." He shook his head. "I know I wasn't exactly the best father... I let you down, as well as your mother. I promised her to take good care of you, and I failed. My sorrow was so big after she died, I couldn't bear it, so I hid it behind a false mask of queerness... and the more I played the role of the eccentric principal, the more my true feelings disappeared underneath the lunacy... I barely ever came home... I never cared about what you two were doing... even the family honor..."

"What are you babbling about, father?" Tatewaki frowned. "While I agree that you have done quite a few things that put the name of Kuno to shame, wasn't it you who taught us the morals of nobility? The truth about life? That a servant must serve and a lord must rule? That a samurai must punish the weak? That..."

"Enough, Tachi," Kuno Senior sighed. "It was a lie, everything about our life was a lie... just look at us! What do you see? We barely have any servants left, except for faithful Sasuke... and where is the respect for the Kuno family? Nobody respects us. They look down at us or either fear us. They are right when they call us a 'bunch of lunatics'. I can't blame them..." He chuckled and took off the fake palm tree that he had carried on his head. "Who would ever take a man with a palm tree on his head serious...?"

"No! I refuse to believe that!" Tatewaki shouted and stood up straight. "I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, and the heir to the noble house of Kuno! My ancestors were noble samurai, and I am and always have been the protector of the weak against evil creatures and foul sorcerers like Saotome."

"Brother... do you actually listen to your talking?" Kodachi asked. "You can't believe how happy I am that father seems to have come back to his senses. Please... don't you wish us to have guests once again?" She smiled. "Just look at my new friend Akari." She gestured at the pig breeder. "During the past few days, I have met many people who showed me the errors of my ways. Some of them even are residents of Nerima... I never thought this possible, but even Akane Tendo is one of these people."

"My beloved Akane?" Tatewaki asked with glee? "Where is she? Could you save her from the grasp of the evil reptile monsters?"

Akari blinked. "What monsters is he talking about, Kodachi?"

The words of her brother made Kodachi angry again. "To your information, I am one of these so-called 'monsters', Tatewaki!"

In her anger, she didn't even notice how she unconsciously shifted back to her black-shelled Koopa form.

Both her father and brother looked down at her with wide eyes. Akari was baffled as well. "K-kodachi?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Oh boy..." he groaned. "This can't be good..."


	24. Noble Turtle

"B-brother, father... I can explain," Kodachi said.

"D-dachi... is that really you?" the principal uttered.

"Oh boy!" Akari said. "Don't tell me you're cursed, just like Ryoga..."

"Similarly," Kodachi nodded sadly, not even realizing that Akari was referring to the transformation. "But unlike him, my curse was my lunacy... and on top of that, the curse is contagious." She looked at her father with eyes that were searching for forgiveness. "It is my fault that you acted like this, father! Mother's death is not to blame, neither were your capabilities as a father... it was all because of that curse!"

"But who... who could do such a thing?" Akari gasped.

"Who was it?" Tatewaki asked, all of a sudden. "Who dared casting such an evil spell on the honorable Kunos? Who acted with such a malice towards my younger sister?"

Kodachi was surprised. Rarely had Tatewaki shown such compassion towards their family bounds, such brotherly feelings...

"It... it was my true grandfather," she finally said. "An evil wizard named Kamek. He is a Koopa... one of these turtles I have become..."

'Of course,' Tatewaki thought. 'And when that villain wanted his granddaughter to be like him, he enchanted her with his vile magic... and on top of that, he put this curse upon the whole Kuno family!'

"Nay, I say, nay!" he proclaimed and grabbed a bokken. "This malevolence will not go unpunished! As a descendent of the great samurai, I must smite those who threaten my darling little sister and our noble family!"

"T-tatewaki..." Kodachi stuttered. She could realize that, once again, he had mixed things up. But in a sense, he WAS right... Kamek wanted her to be part of his personal army, and it was because of his handiwork that she found back to her birth form.

Kuno Jr. looked grimly across the room and raised his bokken. "Sasuke! To arms! There is a foul sorcerer to be slain, and honor to avenge! It's times like this that we have to be bold and risk the exceptional..."

Sasuke sweatdropped. "You don't mean..."

"Verily, we shall go and follow my sister in the homeland of her own ancestors, so we may aid her in the battle against the fiend! Huzzah!"

"I thought so..." Sasuke sighed. "Then I suppose I'll pack many bandages..."

"Brother..." Kodachi muttered. "You really want to come with me?"

"How can I stay behind when I know that my sister has to suffer from this curse on a daily basis?" Tatewaki asked her. "No! Together, as the children of the house Kuno, we shall overcome all barriers and lift the curse that is placed upon you."

The principal wiped a tear out of his eyes. "My boy... I am so proud of you... and here I thought, there was no honor left to save in our family..."

"Do not fret, father, for I will return the house of Kuno to its former glory!" Tatewaki boldly shouted. "Sister, Sasuke, to battle! To glory! To victory!"

"To headaches..." Sasuke murmured.

Akari smiled. "Awww, that is so sweet! A brother stands up for his sister, and together, they help each other... but now I am confused. Does that mean Ryoga is your other brother?"

"Are you talking about the Hibiki boy?" Tatewaki frowned. "A powerful warrior, indeed... and even though he isn't of noble blood, he must be a fighter for justice, for he has more than once tangled with the cretin Saotome."

"Yes, he is my true brother, brother," Kodachi nodded. "We have been separated at birth... but more about that later. He has left to fight his own battles, while I went to confront our grandfather..."

She turned to face the principal. "Father... whatever happens, I want you to know that even though I'm not a Kuno at birth, I will always be your daughter. I've been raised in this house, as a Kuno, and was taught everything I know. And while we haven't always done the most glorious deeds, I can still say that I am proud that I was accepted as a member of this family. And Tatewaki... don't believe for once that I want to replace you with Ryoga. Instead, I just have two brothers now!" She smiled. "As well as two sets of parents. Not every girl can claim herself to be of two families."

"Well said, daughter!" the principal nodded. "Yes, you are right, you will always be a Kuno, even if your birth parents aren't... by the way, I have to meet them one of these days."

"That has to wait, father, for we have a battle to fight," Tatewaki shouted. "So let us boldly go where... um... say, sister dearest... where did you say does your other family live?"

Kodachi sighed. That was typical of her brother. "I'll show you the way... Akari, thank you so much for helping me! I can proudly say that my brother Ryoga can be lucky to have a girlfriend like you."

"Ah, so then the young lady is practically a future member of the family, eh?" the principal grinned.

Akari blushed. "We... we aren't even engaged yet..."

Kodachi grinned. "Well, then it is about time you propose to him, don't you think?"

Akari beamed at her sister-in-law. "That's right! And I can't wait much longer... I will ask him as soon as I can. Therefore, I will come with you, too."

"A fair maiden is always pleasurable company," Tatewaki smiled. "But don't you think it might be too dangerous for you?"

"Katsunishiki can protect me," Akari smiled. "After all, he's the 14th yokozuna of pig sumo wrestling."

Outside, the huge pig was sitting next to an equally huge crocodile. Tears were flowing out of their eyes, and they were hugging each other.

'Human love stories...' Katsunishiki snorted in his pig language. 'Always sooo romantic...'

'And how bold Miss Kodachi and Master Kuno are...' Mr. Turtle sniffed.

* * *

Tatewaki tapped against the wall with his knuckles. "Hmmm... a bit antiquarian, isn't it? And also a bit too European for my tastes... although I must admit, the owner of this chateau has taste..."

Akari giggled. "Oooh, take a look at those potted plants!"

The potted plants blushed. "Why, thank you, miss..."

Sasuke gasped. "They talk?"

Kodachi smirked. "Yes, and they even know how to throw hammers... but come along, I'd like to introduce you to the king... er, that is, queen... well, the ruler of this kingdom."

"Aaaah, so we will meet with nobility!" Tatewaki grinned and brushed his hand through his hair. "I hope I chose the right clothes for this occasion..."

Kodachi sweatdropped. "Brother, all of your hakamas look the same..."

"That is not true," he protested. "There are certain details that make every single one unique."

Kodachi sighed. "Well, if you say so... wait, I should turn back so the Koopas recognize me..." And instantly, she dropped in size and grew a black shell on her back.

Kodachi, now a Koopa again, lead her brother, their ninja retainer and her new friend and the giant pig that had come along with them out of the cellar and to the upper levels of the castle, where they ran into two other Koopas that were carrying a long, wooden log.

"Miss Kodachi!" one of them said. "You are back!"

"King Bowser... that is, Princess Bowsie was already looking for you," the other one said.

"Thanks for informing me," Kodachi said. "Where can I find her?"

"I believe she's in the kitchen," the Koopa said.

Tatewaki fought down his urges to attack the inhuman beings with his bokken. 'They are just lowly servants, and naturally, servants are not as good-looking as us nobles... why, take a look at Sasuke!'

"Lead us to your queen, servant!" he stated. "Inform her that members of the noble house of Kuno are here for an audience."

The Koopas blinked. "Uh, is that a friend of yours, Miss Kodachi?"

"He certainly acts strange for a human being..."

Kodachi sighed. "Just play along..." she muttered from one corner of her mouth.

"But... who will carry this log? We need it for the collapsed tunnel..."

"Oh, Katsunishiki is a great digger," Akari smiled. "He can help you out. Besides, he's pretty strong, so he can carry this log for you. You don't mind, do you, Katsunishiki?"

The sumo pig shrugged and snorted. Normally, it didn't like to work like a common farm animal - he was a sumo champion, after all - but he never turned down a request of his mistress.

In the end, Katsunishiki left to help one of the Koopas, while the other one lead them into the kitchen, as per Tatewaki's request.

He opened the door and shouted: "Princess Bowsie?"

The red-haired girl in the green dress frowned upon hearing that name, but she had gotten used to it over the past two days, so she didn't protest either. "What's the matter? Can't you see I'm busy?"

The Koopa blinked. "Um... what are you doing... if I may ask..."

Bowsie giggled. "Well, I know that Peachy always loved to make cake, so I just HAD to try it out... I still keep forgetting if I'm supposed to use sugar or salt, though... but this doesn't look half bad, doesn't it?" She grinned and gestured at a cake that looked rather like a green Spiny shell with some cream and a cherry on top.

The Koopa sweatdropped. "Yes, my lady... very appetizing..." He cleared his throat. "Princess Bowsie, I hereby introduce you to, um..."

"Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High and the heir to the noble house of Kuno!" the kendoist proclaimed with a smug grin as he entered.

"He is my brother, Your Highness!" Kodachi explained.

Bowsie blinked. "I admit... I don't really see the family likeness..."

Kodachi sighed. "My foster brother, actually..."

Kuno bowed in front of the trans-gendered Koopa ruler. "My lady, I was right when I said that all members of nobility are far more good-looking than the common nobles... but when my eyes were falling upon your face, I realized that this was the understatement of the year! Your posture is one of grace, your eyes sparkle like the stars in the night sky and your hair is as fiery as the pigtail of a girl I know and love..."

Bowsie blushed. She knew she shouldn't be flattered by these compliments, but she liked the style of this young human. "See?" she grinned. "I always told you that my face is the most attractive one on the whole Koopa Kingdom!"

The Koopa to her feet groaned. "Yes, but that was before your transformation..." he muttered.

"These are my friend Akari Unryu and my servant, Sasuke," Kodachi introduced her other two companions.

"Nice to meet you!" Akari smiled. She was happy to meet a pretty princess like Bowsie. Sasuke, on the other hand, knew when a servant had to be silent and didn't say a word.

"So, is there any reason for your visit?" Bowsie asked.

"While it is indeed a tragedy that my poor sister was bewitched and enchanted by an evil spell, my heart was filled with regret when I heard about your kingdom's plight... is it true that the vile sorcerer who has cursed Kodachi is still at large? If that is the case, I hereby offer my sword into your services, my lady!"

An annoyed tapping of a scaly foot came from the door, right behind them.

The towering form of Peach looked down at Bowsie. "As far as I am concerned, I am the one who currently is responsible for most of what happens in the kingdom, isn't it right?"

Bowsie grinned. "And you're doing such a great job, too, Peachy..."

"Still, if you'd like to offer your services, you will have to ask me first," Peach told Kuno.

Tatewaki was surprised. "Such a monstrous creature... yet, with such a lovely visage and voice... how can it be coupled in one being?" he wondered. "Is this sorcery as well?"

"You can say that," Peach frowned. "Kamek cursed me, and since I can't do anything about it, I'm stuck with taking care of a whole kingdom of incompetent turtles!"

"Now, that's a bit harsh, my lady!" the Koopa servant protested.

Sasuke sighed. Another fellow servant whose plight he could understand all too well...

"So that makes you the general of Lady Bowsie's armies, then?" Tatewaki guessed.

Peach frowned. "General, queen, and seemingly all-around problem solver around here... but if you truly have come to help against Kamek, I guess we can use every help we can find. Still, I think it's best until we wait for our friends to return from their mission... Luigi just called me they're on their way back from Yoshi's Island with a melon, but I guess it'll be a couple of days until Akane, Mario and..."

"Akane Tendo?" Tatewaki asked hopefully. "Is my fierce tigress in this enchanted kingdom? How much I've longed to see her again..."

"And to run into the blunt end of her mallet..." Sasuke grumbled.

"Well, she's in outer space right now, trying to get a special star stone... and Ryoga's in Rogueport, helping to defend the city against the Kremlings. But Toadsworth just mailed me that they are on their way back as well."

"Ryoga?" Akari asked happily. "He's coming here? I wanted to see him..."

"I think you'll get the chance soon enough," Kodachi said.

"Well, until everyone is back, would you terribly mind helping out around the castle?" Peach asked. "There's much that needs to be done, and the Koopas have all their hands full."

"Well, my sumo pig is already helping," Akari pointed out.

"It will be done at once," Kuno said. "Sasuke! To work! Do whatever this charming, um... beast-lady will tell you to do."

A sudden explosion coming from the Koopalings' quarters made everyone wince.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT PLAYING WITH BOB-OMBS AT THE FIRE?" the erratic voice of a certain, stressed princess from Sarasaland shouted.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Daisy!" Lemmy proclaimed. "Iggy started it!"

"Are you nuts? I swear it was all Larry's fault..."

Peach sighed. "Looks like we need some help with the children as well..."

"Ooooh, I am good with children," Akari smiled. "I just love taking care of kids, they're sooo cute... can I help with this, can I?"

"Um..." Kodachi said hesitantly. She knew by now what Bowser's children were like and had doubts that Akari knew what was lying in store for her. "I don't know if this is such a good idea..."

But before she could protest any more, the ruffled and charred form of Princess Daisy appeared. "Great, you're hired!" she grinned, and before Akari could say anything, she was dragged after the tomboyish princess.

"Well, that's settled, then," Peach smiled. "Now, what to do with you..."

Kuno needed some time to realize that she was talking about him. "Excuse me, Miss Beast-Lady... but I have the feeling that the best way I can be of service is either by telling servants what to do... or possibly in battle."

"In battle?" Peach grinned. "What a coincidence... we have problems with Piranha Plant-infested tunnels. Your wooden sword seems like just perfect for the job."

Anger welled up in Kuno. 'How dare she call my noble blade a gardening tool?' he thought to himself.

But Princess Bowsie smiled up at him. "Awww, I know it won't be a problem for a strong man like you... I can count on you, can I?" And she batted her eyelashes with the cutest look on her face.

The Blue Thunder faltered. "Well, um, that is..."

"Oh, puh-leeeeeeze?" Bowsie pleaded while giving him the best puppy-dog eyes Peach had ever seen in her life.

Kuno coughed and took on a proud pose. "W-well, if it is for the service of a noble lady in need... I shall gladly offer my blade to cut down those nasty weeds! Show me the way so I can free this castle from their presence!"

Peach giggled. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"It was easy," Bowsie giggled. "I saw you do it so many times..."


	25. Return of the wood doll

"Main cannon, fire!" Morton shouted. The Koopa Tank fired at the heavy stone door that blocked the entrance to the ancient pyramid, and just a couple of shots later, it was reduced to rubble.

Morton grinned. "See, nothing can stop the power of a Koopa weapon."

Roy grumbled something.

"Yes, I do know that the tank is too big to take it along into the pyramid," Morton grumbled. "So what? Are you afraid of anything? We have more than enough to deal with anything." He snorted and climbed off the tank. "Besides, this building is as old as Kamek's dusty warts... I doubt there's anything in there waiting for us." He grinned. "Except for some nice treasure..."

"Sir, if I may, the troops are tired," a Boomerang Brother spoke up. "We are not used to this heat."

"What are you, wimps?" Morton shouted. "And you call yourselves members of the glorious Koopa army? Get a move on, you bunch of lazy slackers!"

"What a slave driver..." a couple of Koopas muttered as they followed their leaders into the pyramid.

Morton grinned. "See, it's even a bit cooler in here than outside. And believe me, the gold we are going to find in here will more than make up for all this trouble."

Roy snorted and looked at the hieroglyphs they were passing. He wasn't quite as optimistic as his brother. The strange, lion-like statues they were passing didn't look too encouraging...

They came to a crossway. "Left or right?" Morton wondered.

Roy shrugged and just walked left. Morton looked after him. Then he shrugged as well. "Okay, fine, we go left, why not?" He gestured to the troops to follow him. "C'mon, the sooner we find the treasure, the sooner we can get out of here."

Shortly afterwards, they reached the next junction.

"And now?" the Boomerang Brother asked.

Roy simply walked left again.

"Seems my brother is making the decisions for us," Morton sneered. "All right, everyone, head left!"

They followed the dark corridor for a while, until they reached another junction.

"Again?" Morton groaned. "This is getting repetitive..."

"I have a bad feeling about this, sir..." the Boomerang Brother muttered. "What if we are running in circles?"

"Of course we don't!" Morton huffed. "Or else we'd be dizzy by now. Keep going! And no, bro, this time, I decide where we go. We go right!"

An upbeat expression on his face, Morton walked right. He was confident that he would find the treasure room very soon.

As they headed deeper into the pyramid, it was becoming darker and darker.

"Should we really keep on going, sir?" the Boomerang Brother whined. "I can't see my own boomerang in this darkness..."

"You wuss! A real Koopa Troopa never lets himself be bothered by something trivial as darkness." He took a couple of wooden torches from his shell. "Fire Brothers, come forth!"

A couple of red-skinned turtles with the helmet of a Hammer Brother stepped forward and lit the torches with their fiery breaths. Afterwards, they walked ahead of the others, illuminating the way.

"I can smell it..." Morton sighed. "The smell of wealth... we're gonna be rich, bro!"

Roy tapped him on his shoulder.

"Stop that, it's irritating!" Morton snapped.

Roy tapped him again.

"I told you to stop that!"

Roy tapped him a third time, this time more urgently.

"Oh, what in the name of Mekoopalem is the matter with you?" Morton snarled and turned around.

Roy gestured back from where they had come from.

And in the darkness, they saw a couple of glowing eyes.

"Oh no! Wh-what's that?" a Koopa Troopa gasped.

"So it's some eyes, so what?" Morton grumbled. "Am I supposed to be scared of that? Hah! What might they do, stare me to death?"

His head nearly vanished into his shell when a plume of fire flew over his head.

"Okay, that might worry me a bit..." the brown-scaled son of Bowser muttered.

Out of the darkness, green snakes with wide mouths and gleaming eyes came crawling. Masses of them! Hissing threateningly, they approached the Koopa Troop.

"Sir, we are outnumbered!" the Boomerang Brother shouted.

"Is that some sort of joke? We are the Koopa Troop, we can't be defeated!" Morton shouted.

"Except by a couple of plumbers..." another soldier murmured.

The snakes continued to spit out fireballs at the Koopas, who were completely taken by surprise by this sneak attack.

"Fire Brothers, to the rear of the squad!" Morton commanded. "Show them what a real fire breath can do!"

"Um, we're trying, sir, but the other troops are in our way."

"Hey, stop shoving!"

"Hey, get off my shell!"

"Ouch, that was my tail..."

"Get a hold of yourselves!" Morton commanded. He was beginning to lose his patience. "When I tell you to attack, I want to see a proper attack. Get out there and fight!" Angrily, he stomped his feet on the ground.

When something underneath his foot clicked, he had the bad feeling that something bad was about to happen.

That's when the whole troop felt how the ground beneath their feet began to give away.

"Oh sh..." Morton grimaced.

With loud yells of panic, the Koopa Troop fell down into the darkness, even deeper into the depths of the Birabuto Pyramid... the domain of King Totomesu.

* * *

"You did a good job out there, Akane, I'm-a impressed," Mario said as he stood up. "I couldn't-a have done this better."

"Yeah, looks like you can use something else than your mallet," Ranma grinned.

Akane fought down the impulse of pounding Ranma into the ground. "I'm glad you are both okay," she said instead. And she meant it, even for her big-mouthed fiance...

"I still don't get it, though," Ranma said. "If those were viruses, how come they became as big as that?"

"Well, that's-a the question..." Mario muttered and stroked his beard.

Polari came floating. "I have analyzed the bottle the viruses were in and found tiny mushroom bits inside. And give the situation, I can only think of one type of mushroom that could have caused the growth of the viruses."

"A Super Mushroom," Mario said. "Of course! But... that means someone must have put it in there."

"But who?" Akane wondered. "Who would want those poor little Lumas to fall ill?"

"Well," Polari pointed out. "It's just a guess, but what if that certain someone really wanted to get rid of the three of you?

Ranma grumbled. "Whoever did that has no honor at all. Using such dirty tricks to put us out of commission... too bad he's not here anymore. I'd have liked to show him how a true martial artist fights."

Just then, Rosalina came into the room. "My friends," she smiled. "I have wonderful news: We are approaching the Star Road!"

"Already?" Mario asked. "Now that's-a good timing... I wonder if Geno knows we're coming, though..."

"Yes, I've send a few of my Lumas to inform him," Rosalina nodded. "I have finally remembered from where I know him, I just did not realize you were speaking of him, since I only knew him by his true name, which is unpronouncable for normal humans... And since the kind of stars his race belongs to doesn't speak the normal mushroom tongue, I've prepared a way of communication."

"What do you mean?" Akane asked. "Some sort of translation device?"

"Something like that," Rosalina smirked. "But why don't you come and see?"

They followed her onto the big terrace of the observatory, where a couple of Lumas were placing something that looked vaguely human-shaped.

Mario scratched his head. "Y'know, that looks familiar..."

"I hoped it would, Mario," Rosalina smiled. "The last time we met, our friend told me of the adventures he had when he visited the Mushroom World, and I couldn't help myself but to prepare this in case he wanted to return for a visit."

The Lumas floated aside, and now they all could see the wooden doll that was sitting in front of them, limp as a marionette without any threads.

Ranma scratched his head. "So what? It's just a wooden doll, isn't it? wait a minute... you're not going to use some scary voodoo stuff, are you? I mean, Gosunkugi has used some weird dolls like that..."

"That were straw dolls," Akane groaned. "And does that look like a voodoo doll to you?"

"Voodoo?" Rosalina wondered. "What's that?"

"Well, how should I explain...?" Akane began.

"Beg my pardon... what was the word?" Polari asked. "Voodoo?"

A couple of Lumas looked at each other. "Who do?"

"YOU DO!" Ranma shouted and chuckled to himself.

Akane facefaulted. "Ranma, that wasn't very funny..." she groaned.

But before Ranma could reply, an amazing view became visible for them: A shining, serpentine path that was made of billions of little stars, each one sparkling brighter than the other.

"Wow..." Akane muttered. "What is that?"

Mario smiled. "That... is the Star Road!"

Suddenly, a bright, sparkling light came flying from the Star Road. It turned out to be a small star, slightly bigger than the Lumas, but much brighter and without any facial features.

A small jingling sound was heard when the star slowly descended upon the Cosmic Obersatory.

Rosalina smiled. "Yes, it has been too long. Welcome back, my friend!"

Mario stared at the star with awe. "Is that..." he murmured.

And then, the star floated over to the motionless, wooden doll, touched it... and then it disappeared.

The doll then slowly turned its head around. In front of everyone's eyes, it stood up from the ground and turned around to face them.

Even though the wooden face could not really show any emotion, a smile seemed to be on the doll's face when it began to speak: "Mario... I am happy to see you again, after so many years..."

"Geno!" Mario shouted with joy. "It's you! Oh, it's-a great to see you again!"

* * *

Author's Note:

The fire snakes are from Super Mario Land and are called 'Nyololin'. And yes, I know they actually appear in Chai, and not in Birabuto.


	26. Skinless

Kamek opened the heavy door that was leading down into the catacombs of Creepy Steeple.

King Boo came floating up next to him. "Hey, Kamek! I was wondering... now that we know that K.Rool and his Kremlings failed as well, what will be your next step?"

"Anything... to get that bandana!" the Koopa wizard grumbled. He waved his wand, and a glowing light appeared on its tip, illuminating the stairs in front of them. "And if I can't overwhelm them with sheer power... I will have to attack their mind and heart instead of their bodies."

"Oh, great idea!" the big Boo cackled. After a short pause, he added: "Um, how are you going to do that?"

"By making use of the old Koopa tradition of burying their dead in tombs like this," Kamek smiled. And with no further explanation, he walked downstairs.

King Boo was uncertain how to react. "Um, you want me to come along?"

"No, I need to be alone for this incantation!" Kamek shouted back. "Tell one of your Lakitu Boos to prepare a cloud."

"Are you going to fly somewhere?" King Boo wondered.

"Not me, my ghostly friend..." Kamek snickered as he descended down into the darkness. "Not me..."

And while the king of the Boos was still confused, the aged Magikoopa walked down the spiral staircase, until he reached an ancient mausoleum deep below Creepy Steeple. He saw several heavy stone doors, all of them sealed with glowing runes.

"This is it..." Kamek murmured. "The place where the old Koopa clans buried their dead..."

He grinned when he saw a door with the image of a glowing wand on it. "And there we have it... the tomb of my own family!"

He waved his wand and muttered a few magical words, and the heavy door slowly slid open. Cackling to himself, Kamek entered.

It was very dark here, the only source of light was his own, glowing wand. Several alcoves were in the wall opposite of the door, and they were filled with bones... bones of Koopas that were long dead.

"Hello, my dear family..." Kamek murmured as he approached the alcoves. "It has been some time since I last visited you... and once again, I need the help from one of you."

He grinned when he stood in front of a certain alcove. The turtle skeleton lying inside wasn't as old as the others, but it was still as dead as a pile of bones could be.

There was a small inscription above the alcove: 'Skippy Koopa'.

Kamek closed his words ad began to chant an ancient spell, a spell that was known to almost all Magikoopas. Bowser had quite often let his mages cast this spell when his fortresses needed some guardians.

"Arise, dead body..." Kamek commanded. "Walk on this earth again in the service of our clan!"

With a jerking motion, he pointed his wand at the skeleton, and a purple flash came flying into the bones. The bones shook a bit... Kamek loved the rattling sound.

And then, slowly, the bones began to rearrange themselves... and the skeleton put itself back together, by the effect of Kamek's magic. In the end, two dim lights appeared in the otherwise empty holes of the skull, and the animated skeleton climbed out of the alcove and stood in front of the wizard.

"On your command, I have returned from the grave," the undead Koopa said in a rattling voice. "How may I serve the family?"

Kamek smiled at the Dry Bones with satisfaction. This could easily be one of his favorite spells... it was a shame that it could only be cast once a month.

Well, this would change, as soon as his potion was finally complete...

"Listen carefully," Kamek said. "You will listen to my orders as long as your bones are intact. You will do what I tell you, no matter what it is."

"I will obey," the Dry Bones murmured.

"Good," Kamek smiled. "Now, first things first... I will give you a new name... a name that will fill the hearts of your victims with fear. Your new name will be... Skinless!"

"I am Skinless," the Dry Bones repeated. "What are your orders, my master?"

An evil grin appeared on the Magikoopa's face.

"You will... visit your dear, older brother!"

* * *

A Koopa with a yellow, black-spotted shell was leaning against the ship's rail and looked at the vast sea. It was a calm night, and the sky was very clear. Ryoga looked up and the stars.

'I wonder if Akane is up somewhere up there...' he thought.

He looked up when a spatula-carrying girl walked up next to him.

"Can't sleep, sugar?" Ukyo asked.

Ryoga sighed. "I've been thinking, Ukyo..." he said. "About my grandfather... and I wonder if I can fight him."

The chef frowned. "But you were so determined back in Rogueport," she said. "It's his fault that the town was attacked by the pirates, isn't it? And that Princess Peach was transformed."

"Well, maybe..." Ryoga muttered. "Still, he is family... and I haven't been forced to fight a family member up to this day. I mean, sure, I've never met him before... but I have the feeling that when I stand in front of him, I might not be able to attack."

"Hey, you're almost as strong as Ranchan," Ukyo grinned. "I'm pretty sure you can kick his butt!"

Ryoga winced. 'Thanks for reminding me that Ranma is still stronger than me, Ukyo...' he thought.

"That's not the problem, Ukyo," he said. "See, I have fought several enemies that were pretty strong... sometimes, I even teamed up with Ranma to take them down. And I know that all of you guys are there to help, too... still... can I fight someone who's of my own blood?"

"Only you can answer that question, Ryoga," Ukyo smiled.

"She's right, you know?"

Ryoga was startled when he heard his mother. She had appeared behind Ukyo without making any sound. "M-mom! Don't sneak up on us like that!"

Kimmy chuckled. "Sorry, son, I guess old habits die hard... I was an elite member of the Koopa Troop, you know? And I wasn't just a good soldier, but also a skilled spy. King Bowser always used to say: 'If all Koopas in my troop are as good as your little girl, Kamek, we would have conquered the Mushroom Kingdom in no time.'" She sighed.

"Does... does that mean you had to fight against the Mushroom Kingdom army as well?" Ukyo wondered.

"Oh yes, several times," Kimmy sighed. "Bowser might have been a little tyke back then, but my father helped him with most of his plans. And since I was a member of his army, I had to listen to my orders... and I must admit, I never thought of refusing my orders. I was a soldier, you know? And our two kingdoms had been at odds several times, not just because Bowser wanted to kidnap Princess Peach. It was only when my children were in danger that I thought of abandoning my people and siding with the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Mom... do you think... do you think you would be able to fight grandpa, if he'd force you to?"

"Yes, definitely," the black-shelled Koopa nodded. "Although I always believed I wouldn't be able to, back when I was still an active member of the Koopa Troop. But... that changed."

"How did it change?" Ryoga wondered. He was intent to hear more about his grandfather and his mother's relationship to him.

"I... I don't like to talk about it..." Kimmy murmured. "The memory is still painful..."

Ryoga felt uneasy. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"No, I guess it's best if I tell you, you have every right to know," Kimmy sighed.

Ukyo suddenly felt as if her presence was unnecessary. "Um, I think I'm gonna polish my spatulas..." she said as she went back inside, leaving the two Koopas to their family matters.

Kimmy took a deep breath. "Ryoga... your grandfather is a scheming and power-hungry villains, and both of us have every right to dislike, even hate him because of that. But the main reason why I hate him is that he did something awful, something that I will never be able to forgive him."

"What did he do?" Ryoga asked.

"He... he killed someone..."

Ryoga gasped. It was obvious by now that Kamek wasn't a nice person, but this was the first time that he heard that he had killed someone. "Who... who was it?"

"Someone... someone very close to me and your father..." Kimmy muttered. "Actually, he is also a member of our family..."

"An uncle or aunt I know nothing about?" Ryoga wondered.

Kimmy shook her head. "No... no, he's much more closely related to you. Ryoga... I never told you or Kodachi, but... you had a little brother."

Ryoga blinked. "A... a little brother?" he whispered.

Kimmy sniffed. "Yes... I laid his egg two years after you and Kodachi were sent to Earth. Toadsworth once again suggested that we should give him in the care of a human family on earth, so he would be safe from Kamek, but I refused. I just couldn't abandon another child of mine! We decided to keep him, and to keep his existence a secret." She sniffed again. "Ryoga... if you hate me because I decided to keep your brother, unlike you and Kodachi..."

"No! No, please don't believe that, Mom!" Ryoga pleaded. "I could never hate you... but... but how could grandpa still learn about him?"

"I was careless..." Kimmy sobbed. "It was my own fault, you know? I insisted that your brother couldn't stay hidden within Toad-Town for all eternity, so I took him on a stroll through the forest when he was eight years old... It was a very nice day, the sun was shining, and your little brother seemed really happy. But then... Kamek showed up. I was taken by surprise by his sudden appearance. He had been waiting for a chance to catch me outside of Toad-Town. He insisted that I'd come back home with him, but I refused. Then he drew his wand..."

Kimmy shivered when she recalled that horrible moment. "He wanted to kill me, you know? He didn't know that the child in front of him was his grandson, since he believed the only kids I ever had were on Earth, so he ignored him. But when he shot his spell at me... your brother jumped in the way, taking the full force of the spell." She was now openly sobbing. "He died in my arms... when I told him that he had just killed his own grandson, Kamek said he was sorry... but in such a cold voice... I didn't believe him!"

Kimmy stared at her son, and Ryoga was taken aback by the fury in her eyes. "Ever since that day... I wanted to kill Kamek... for taking away my youngest son, your brother... little Skippy!"


	27. Friendly Role Models

Author's Note:

This chapter was being written by fellow author AYH over at the Anime Addventure. Nice work, AYH!

"Lady Kodachi, her majesty Princess Bowsie is asking for you," announced a small goomba as it presented the Koopa sibling with a card.

It still surprised and rather unnerved Kodachi at how quickly the Koopa Troops had adjusted to their new situation. She was reasonably certain that if someone had transgendered the Emperor of Japan, that people wouldn't have just gone about as if it were business as usual. Accepting the summons, she decided that perhaps it was best that she didn't know about the sort of conditions that existed within the Koopa Kingdom that would allow something like this to be seen with such indifference.

Following the instructions printed on the card, Kodachi entered a pink and spike covered doorway looking for the former (current?) monarch of the Koopa Kingdom. A summons at a time like this could only mean that her wicked grandfather was once again on the move. With two rulers currently cursed and enemy forces striking left and right, it was imperative that they remain alert to all dangers and react to them swiftly and without mercy!

Stopping at that thought, Kodachi suddenly found herself questioning herself. Ever since her birth parents had revealed themselves and the curse upon the Kuno family, it had been like a veil had been lifted from her mind. She had found herself thinking clearer, seeing things in greater focus, and reasoning much better. Surrounded by family and friends her mind had seen changes as well, and with these changes had come the question of who Kodachi Kuno really was. Her brother had helped her greatly, but still the question remained how much of the old Kodachi had really been her, and how much had been the curse. Was it even right for her to continue thinking like that? To show no mercy, to crush her opposition, to laugh victoriously over the bodies of her fallen opponents; were those the actions of a sane person? She had spent so much time in the thrones of madness that she honestly didn't know anymore.

*sigh* "It seems that being 'sane and normal' is going to be a bit more of a challenge than I thought. I do hope that Ryouga returns soon, I could use someone to discuss this over with."

Stepping though the door Kodachi readied herself for the upcoming meeting.

"Ah, Kodachi, come on in, the waters fine!"

A meeting that was apparently going to be held at a … tropical island themed spa resort? At least her father would have approved.

Seeing the grinning face of Princess Bowsie as she waved her closer to the hot tub she was in, Kodachi was completely confused as she approached the dragon turned princess.

"Your majesty, uh, was there some reason that you summoned me?"

"Yep, sure do! I got the latest Overlords and Tailor™ catalogue here and I could use your advice." Looking down at the confused face of her diminutive subject, Bowsie frowned as the young black shelled Koopa didn't immediately jump to her command. "What are you standing around there for? Go grab something from the changing room and hop in."

"Oh, of course your majesty, but I was just wondering if now was the best moment for a respite. After all with all that is happening …"

Droning out the rest of her newest subjects monologue Bowsie nodded to her self; an overachiever. It'd been a while since she'd ran into one within her own kingdom, and while they were great to have around, sometimes they got so caught up in the end results that they just couldn't take the time to stop to burn the roses. Even when kidnapping Princess Peach, she had always taken her time to properly take in the sights, burn some towns, and indulge in some maniacal laughter.

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to say, but really girl, give it a rest."

Blinking in surprise, Kodachi didn't really know what to make of this latest development, after all, wasn't her new monarch one of the most effected by Kameks schemes?

Undeterred, Bowsie continued. "I know what you're thinking, but it's OK. There hasn't been any sign of Kamek, everyone else is still out doing what ever it was they're supposed to be doing, and the castle hasn't fallen down around us yet; now's the best time to take a break and enjoy the peace and quiet. Believe me; you won't get anything from burning yourself out at this stage of the game. Save it for when we do run into Kamek."

Chewing on her lower beak, Kodachi did see some logic in her new liege's words, but still, was it really right to do this? "Com'on already, you'd be crazy not to join in," Bowsie grumbled, growing rather impatient with her minion. The nerve, she gets invited to spend time with her, and she's mulling it over? What was that all about?

It was those words that settled Kodachi's mind. If not taking the time to relax was crazy, then it was up to her to chose the sane path and accept Princess's Bowsie's offer. It was high time that she consciously chose to walk down the road to her own mental recovery.

* * *

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……" Who knew sanity was so … relaxing. Leaning back and sinking down until the warm waters reached her chin, Kodachi decided that there were _definitely_ things that a human form were infinitely superior for. Her first jaunt into the tub in her Koopa form had resulted in frantic splashing and a distinct impression of what a soup ingredient must feel like. Emerging a few minutes later from the changing room in a new yellow bikini and a familiar gymnast's body, her second attempt had been much more rewarding.

"So, what do you think of this one Kodachi?" Bowsie asked as she showed Kodachi her catalogue.

Sitting up, Kodachi looked over the picture of a pair of black leather fingerless gloves with steel studs over the knuckles. "Uh, is this really … appropriate for someone of your station?" After all, that had not been something she would have imagined Princess Peach wearing prior to her transformation.

Snorting, Bowsie couldn't believe her new subject. Where did she get those ideas? "This is what all the fashionable rulers are wearing. You've got to show everyone that you're a lean, mean, butt kicking machine and that you're here to do business. If you can project that image to those around you, most of the time you don't even need to crush them to get them to surrender. It's all about power and good leadership."

Nodding, Kodachi did see the point, and looking over the gloves, they did have certain elegance. Smooth lines of black leather with perfectly diamond metal studs; she could definitely see how those would look well upon Bowsie's feminine hands. And who knew, just as that whole 'punk' trend overseas seemed sociably acceptable, it could just be a case of different strokes for different folks. Who was she to judge foreign fashions?

"Hmm, I see your lordship, though if you do get these gloves you'll certainly need something to go with them to match. Oh, these arm bands and this chocker would go wonderfully with them!"

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

"Are you quite sure this is really a game?" Looking over the edge of the canyon she was on, Kodachi peered into the seemingly bottomless chasm.

Gripping her balance beam and getting ready to cross the tight rope stretched across the gorge, Bowsie did a last minute balance check before answering. "Of course, it's a newer game, but everyone else is trying it."

Watching the other competitors eagerly scramble up to their ropes, the black shelled Koopa girl did note that everyone did seem eager and willing. Still…

"Well, be that as it may, it just doesn't seem … well rather safe for others, that's all."

"Come on already, a game of balance and luck against a bunch of others, what's not to love?"

Seeing everyone else getting ready, Kodachi had to marvel at how much less restrictive sanity seemed to be than she had previously thought. All those years wasted being a delusional mad woman when she could have been experiencing the same adrenaline rush in perfectly sane and acceptable alternatives as tight rope walking over certain death.

"Wait for the wind to start blowing, that's where the challenge comes from!"

* * *

"Hello, I'm Akari Unryu!"

Stepping into the room, the dainty sumo pig farmer's daughter looked around to room, noting all the rambunctious koopa children running about. Goodness, it was just like the stables back home! Though these were much cleaner…

"Well here we are!" the kidnapped foreign dignitary announced as she entered the room with Akari. Her dress was hopelessly rumpled and creased, and her hair was in disarray. Food and unidentifiable smudges adorned her face and clothes. "Watch out, these little monsters will eat you alive if you don't keep your guard up."

"Oh, they look much too cute to ever be any trouble," Akari replied as she patted a mohawked little boy rolling around on a star painted ball.

"Rawr!" Jumping up, Lenny quickly tried to bite Akari's hand, only to find him self suddenly hugged by the petite girl and spun onto the ground. Whipping a ribbon out of her hair, Akari soon had the little koopaling hog tied and wrapped up.

"Naughty naughty, no biting now, OK?"

All motion in the room stopped as everyone watched Akari as she lightly tapped Lenny on the head with the tip of her finger and gently scold him.

"Ho-how? How did you do that? Daisy asked.

"Oh, I raise the best sumo pigs in all of Japan," Akari beamed. "I usually take care of the babies and little ones by my self. You know the 200 to 300 pound ones. Once they get big though, then I need Katsunishiki to help me out.

"Two to three hundred pounds is little?" Looking over the dainty girl, Daisy turned to see the rest of the koopa kids keeping a safe distance from the new girl. "Hi! I'm Daisy!"

* * *

*Whack!*

Watching her ball sail down the fairway, Bowsie frowned as her lack of strength made it self painfully obvious. '*^%& Kamek, when I get my hands on him again, ($&^&#'

"417 yards for Princess Bowsie," the automated announcer called out.

Taking a swing with her own club, Kodachi turned towards her flame haired companion. "As enjoyable as this all is, don't you think we've spent enough time-"

"374 yards for Kodachi Kuno."

"What!?" Jaw dropping in shock, Kodachi couldn't believe it. Golf was practically the national past time in Japan now, and an essential for the upper class to learn as they made connections on the green. She was still a Kuno damn it! How in the world had she NOT hit a 500?

"You say something Dachi?" Bowsie smirked as she watched her companion's ball fall short of her own. There just wasn't anything as satisfying and encouraging than watching someone else do worse than you.

"Never mind, lets just get ready for our second swing," the horse tailed gymnast grumbled as she forcefully shoved her driving iron back into the hands of her caddy. Her grandfather could wait until after she had fixed her golf game!

* * *

"Aim for the ramp!"

"Ya think I'm blind!?"

Screeching around the corner, the Koopa Princess and her paratroopa winged passenger screamed in delight as their go-cart hit a ramp propelling them high into the air.

"Get the red shell ready!"

"Not the blue shell?" Kodachi yelled over the roar of the cart engine.

"We're already in the lead, why'd we want ta use that now?!" Hitting the gas, Bowsie made a mad dash for the finish line.

"Wait, if _we're_ in the lead and this is the last lap, then doesn't that mean…" Looking behind her Kodachi saw the bane of all go-cart racers streaking towards them.

"Blue Shell! Where's the banana peels, the banana peels?!"

* * *

"Let's see, five, six, seven, and eight. Ha! A gold coin!" Pocketing her prize Kodachi readied herself for her next roll of the dice.

*Rumble rumble*

"Huh?" Yelping in surprise Kodachi only had time for one last though before everything turned black.

'When did Bowsie get that Bolo Candy?'

* * *

"First place, Kodachi Kuno!"

Soaking in the cheers and applause of the roaring masses, Kodachi stood victorious for the fifth time.

"&^$*#(, stupid Kamek, stupid curse, stupid scrawny arms, s'not fair..."

Stepping down from her pedestal, Kodachi placed a comforting arm around her new friend and monarch. "There there, your highness. It's alright; perhaps this 'Brawl' isn't suitable for your new form. We can always try —"

"I used to be the BEST! I should be the best! I can't stand not being able to — oof!"

Clutching her back as she tried to stand up, Bowsie couldn't believe the indignity. Losing five times in a row, and it hadn't even been remotely close either! And now her wimpy little body felt like it'd gone through a meat grinder.

"Careful my liege, you received a nasty looking blow there." Truthfully, the neo-princess had taken several nasty blows to her back. For some reason the girl had constantly been turning her back at the last second all the way through their rounds.

"Stupid tiny segmented shell," griped Bowsie. "Damn things worth crap for defense. I swear, it hurts more using it that it does just getting hit."

"Uh, your majesty," Kodachi injected, "that's not a 'segmented shell'. That is your spine."

"Huh? You mean my shell's these things over here?" the confused girl asked as she reached over her shoulders.

"Um, no. Those are called your shoulder blades."

"Oh, that's what they're called." Rubbing her back, Princess Bowsie continued to stretch and twist as she looked for her 'shell'.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad new you highness, but humans don't come with shells."

"**WHAT!?**" Whirling around, the Koopa ruler quickly covered her back as she tried to hide from the crowd. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod…You mean all this time I've been walking around _naked_!?"

Sweat dropping at the other girls actions, Kodachi suddenly realized that there was _much_ about Koopa society and its customs that she still needed to learn.

"I'm sure we can pick something up. Perhaps back at the castle."

Mortified, Bowsie continued to cover her back as she edged her way off stage. "We'd better, and to think, I was going arrive to the after fight party like this!"

* * *

"Huh?"

"Is something the matter Princess Peach?"

"I, I don't know. I feel like there's a party being planed somewhere, but I haven't been invited. But that can't be right, I'm always invited, _ALWAYS_."

"Uh sure… Anyway, about these reports…"

Sniffling, Peach's clawed hands balled themselves under her chin as her eyes filled with tears. "Why do you care about my opinion? It's not like I'm important enough to be invited to parties. Who cares about dumb old Princess Peach anyway? I'm just the queen of the Koopas! WAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Running out of the room, the Goomba and Paratroopa who had been in attendance with their queen watched as their new monarch threw herself onto her bed and bawled like a little girl.

"Well there's a familiar sight."

"Yep, King Bowser used to do the same thing every time he was never invited to any of Peach or Mario's parties."

"We never get invited to anything and you don't see us crying about it."

"Yeah, what a pair of weenies."

* * *

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong Princess Daisy-chan?" Akari asked.

"I don't know. It feels like there's a party being planned somewhere, and I haven't been invited, **AGAIN**."

"Goodness, that doesn't sound very polite."

"You got that right! I went around all last year practically screaming my name to everyone I met and yet no one still seems to invite me to anything! I should throw a castle trashing party right here and not invite anyone else just to show them all!"

* * *

Jerking up from where she had been adjusting a strap to her new shell, Princess Bowsie eyed her surroundings.

"Is something wrong your majesty?"

"I've got the sudden urge to smash someone, but I can't figure out whom…"

"Oh, you get those as well. What a relief, I was almost worried that such thoughts were abnormal."

"Nah, they're as normal as breathing. Say, can you give me a sec? I need to find some tools. These straps need a little work."

* * *

"Back! Back foul spawn of the gardens of the neither world! Tatewaki Kuno will not fall to such monstrosities as your selves, not when he has been charged to this duty by the beauteous and flame haired Princess Bowsie to slay you all!"

Swinging his bokken, the Blue Thunder valiantly cut a swath through the infestation of piranha plants. Yet even the mighty scion of the House of Kuno could only keep the voracious carnivorous plants at bay for so long. Rushing ahead, Tatewaki foolishly left his back unguarded as numerous vines and toothy heads rose up behind him from various pipes he had over looked. Finding him self suddenly surrounded, it was then that his mind made one last amazing leap of logic to find some way to survive.

'Round plant + green leafy vines + red insides ='

Crouching down, the noble mans arms relaxed as his eyes glazed. Loosening his stance to gain maximum mobility, a single word dropped from his lips: "Watermelons!"

Years later, old piranha plants would tell disobedient sprouts the story of the dreaded mower man. Born on the same world the terrible Mario brothers spent their youth in, the mower man descended upon their kind armed with twisted blade made of the stiffened remains of their ancestors. A living dervish of screaming wood and howling wind, the mower man mulched and routed them, tearing and cutting without mercy or impunity, he fell ten (hundreds or thousands depending on who was telling the story) of innocent piranha plants in one day. Mere mention of the mower man was always enough to cow even the most rebellious of saplings.

* * *

Leaping into the air, Kodachi shifted into her Koopa form to fly out of Princess Bowsie's reach. Apparently a few 'adjustments' included adding various weapons to her new shell. Whatever she had done though, the Koopa girl couldn't keep the smile off her face as this finally made her match against the monarch much more interesting, and made her pending victory all the more sweeter.

Whipping her arm out, Bowsie grinned maniacally as the side of her shell popped open and a long nozzle wrapped around her arm. Pointing her weapon at her flying opponent Bowsie let loose a stream of flame at her target.

Zipping behind a floating island, Kodachi shifted once more to her human form to drop down and attack with her ribbon. The long cloth snaked out and tried to wrap itself around the other girls arm only to have her dart back at the last second, the flame thrower popping back into the shell while a propeller sprang out of the top and carried Princess Bowsie to higher ground.

Leaping gracefully up the islands, Kodachi shifted back to her Koopa form and launched herself across the distance, becoming a living projectile as she pulled her head and appendages into her own shell and aimed for the transformed ruler.

Seeing her opponent rocketing towards her, Bowsie spun around and jumped towards Kodachi, her own shell knocking the Kuno girl off target and on her back and causing her self to land rather comically on her bottom. Picking herself back up, Bowsie jumped up and pulling her shell off one shoulder and released several spikes that emerged from the shell's surface. Slamming her spiked shell down, Bowsie's grin widened as she saw Kodachi once more take human form and roll out of the way. Slipping her shell back into place she lobed several lakitu eggs that fell from the bottom of her shell at the young noble girl.

Tossing several gymnastics pins to deflect the spinney eggs, Kodachi charged ahead once more.

* * *

"So then we place the dishes on the cloud like so and let them float back down to the kitchen."

"I see." Sasuke replied amazed at all the conveniences the Koopa Castle held. Leaving the young master to his gardening, and keeping the heck away from his whirling blade of plant destruction, Sasuke had volunteered to assist the various other servants of the castle. Brothers in servitude, he had gotten along well with everyone else.

*giggle*

Though it was a bit difficult to concentrate on learning the ins and outs of the castle with the constant giggling of several mouser girl servants and goombette maids in the back ground. Who would have guessed that buck teeth and whiskers made him one of the most attractive men in this world? Unused to female attention of any kind, Sasuke merely blushed and tried to concentrate on the tasks before him.

* * *

"OHHH HO HO HO HO - urk"

Kodachi coughed as she tried to regain balance from violently stopping her normal laughter. Of all the things from before, her laugh was one of the two things that distressed Kodachi the most. That liberating, full body, piercing laugh that reminded her most of what she used to be like. The unbridled joy that that laughter had brought her, only matched by the warm exuberant love she still felt towards her, err, towards Ranma Saotome, had been subjects of confusion for her as of late. Both seemed so pure, so good, and yet for some reason, her laugh and pursuit of Ranma seemed to bring distress to others and strange looks from those around her. She had gained so much in such a short time, but was she ready to give up two of her most cherished trademarks? Should she give them up? Ranma seemed only interested in that Akane har… that Akane girl, but was there still a chance for her?

"MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Standing over the bodies of her fallen opponents, Princess Bowsie threw her head back in triumph over the two fools who had dared challenge her and Kodachi to a teams brawl. Ready to gloat over her superiority, Bowsie caught sight of Kodachi and felt her self frown. The girl was loads of fun to be with, but seriously, she had some issues. Grabbing the other girl closer, Bowsie wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on Dachi, tell me what's wrong."

*sigh* "I'm sorry your majesty, I suppose I'm just a bit self conscious, that's all. While I was under my grandfather's curse, I would often take pride in … certain activities. But now that I know about the curse, I am not sure if I should indulge myself any further."

Pulling the other girl down so that they could sit comfortable upon their vanquished foes, Bowsie patted her subject on her head as she tried to get her minion back into working order. "What kind of 'activities' are we talking about here? You can let me know, I'm a pillar of support and aid to my people."

Across the kingdom, numerous koopa and assorted creatures suddenly stopped to fight the mysterious urge to scoff and roll their eyes.

Bashfully looking away, Kodachi fidgeted a little before finally answering. "I enjoyed, I enjoyed pursuing the boy Ranma Saotome in a rather energetic manner and … um, well, I also greatly enjoyed a particular laugh; a haughty little thing that made me feel empowered and so satisfyingly superior. I suppose I should stop with both if I am to present my self as a reformed and dignified noble lady but I still cannot…"

"You don't even dare finish that thought!" Taking the horse tailed girl by both shoulders, Bowsie turned Kodachi around until they were looking each other eye to eye. "I will tell you right now, it's everyone else that has a problem. You're perfect the way you are. This Ranma guy? Is he married? He give someone a ring? There a date set? NO. Nada, nothing, zip, zilch. He's on the market and that makes him fair game. And if you can make yourself different, if you can give yourself an edge that sets you aside from everyone else that wants 'im, then take it! Show him that you are NOT afraid to be in love, that you're not afraid to show him just how damn much you want him! It's not over until a priest says so!" Left unsaid though was the thought that even should a certain Ms. Toadstool ever did tie the knot; Bowsie would still not give up. But that didn't need to be mentioned, after all, he'd have Peach by his side WAY before anything like that ever happened, right?

"And that thing about a laugh, I say LAUGH!" Standing up and looking down at the stunned girl, Princess Bowsie burned with an intense passion. "Our feelings are what give us strength; it's what makes us people! You don't bottle up something as wonderful an' precious as that! NO! You let it out! You throw your head back and let the heaven them selves know that you're awesome!"

Eyes brimming with admiration, Kodachi never felt more in awe of her new monarch. "Oh my liege…" It all sounded so right, it all made so much sense. All this time she had been worried about how she should act. But now she saw, her heart had known the way all along. "You're absolutely right! Thank you my liege, thank you!"

And saying so, Kodachi threw her head back, and heralded to the entire world that the Black Rose had been reborn.

"OHHH HO HO HO! OHH HO HO HO HO HO!"


	28. Journey back home

"Geno, I'd like to introduce you to my two newest friends-a," Mario said, gesturing at the two Nerimian youngsters. "Ranma and Akane."

"May the stars shine bright for you," the wooden doll nodded.

"Um... likewise, buddy!" Ranma said.

"Um... if you don't mind me asking... who or what are you exactly? Mario didn't exactly tell us much about you..."

Geno looked at her. "I serve... a higher authority..."

"That isn't exactly a clear answer..." Akane grumbled.

Mario had to snicker. "Akane, Geno is a warrior from Star Road. He just takes the form of a wooden doll for easier interacting."

"But the Lumas are star beings as well, aren't they?" Akane wondered. "And they can interact with us just fine. So why does he need...?"

"I... am not like the Lumas, or the star people from Star Haven, for that matter," Geno tried to explain. "It's not easy to comprehend for normal minds..."

"Well, if you would just try to explain..." Akane impatiently sighed.

"I already told you: I serve a higher authority!"

The youngest Tendo groaned.

"Let's just say that space is full of mysteries, and Geno's species is just one of them," Rosalina smiled. "Geno... you brought what I asked you for, right?"

"Oh yes, I did," Geno said. He held out his wooden hand, and a bright light came forth from his palm. "Since I have no hands in my birth form, I had to convert its mass into energy," he smiled. "I just have to reverse the process... just a moment, please..."

The shining light brightened even further, while little sparks of stardust gathered around Geno's hand. Finally, they all moved to the center of the light, and in another flash, a small piece of rock made of a strange, glittering substance appeared in his hands.

Mario looked at it with awe. "Is-a that... a Star Stone?"

"Oh no no," Geno chuckled. "For a Star Stone, you wouldn't have to travel such a long distance. After all, Star Stones regularly fall down to the Mushroom World... no, this is something much, much rarer... the fragment of a comet! A comet that has been travelling through space for many eons, and over that time, gathered a huge amount of magical energy."

"Amazing!" Rosalina murmured. "Even I haven't seen such a comet in my life..."

"And one of these Comet Stones must have fallen to the base of Shooting Star Summit," Mario murmured. "Where Prof. E. Gadd found it. No wonder that paintbrush turned out to have such incredible abilities..."

"So you see, I wouldn't just give this comet fragment to anyone, Mario," Geno said. "The only reason why I brought it is that I know you are a honorable man and wouldn't try to misuse its powers. After all, the first Comet Stone that landed on your world caused a big amount of problems down there, if I'm not mistaken."

"You can say that-a again..." Mario muttered, thinking back to his adventures on Isle Delfino. "Anyways, thanks-a for giving this to us, I really appreciate it..." And he reached out to take the Comet Stone out of Geno's hands.

But Geno pulled them back. "Wait a second, Mario... I know I can trust you, but before I give this to you, I need to know exactly for what reason you need is. I hope you understand..."

The plumber sighed. "Yes, of course... well, you see, it's-a like this..."

And he went into a long explanation on how Princess Peach was turned into her current form and how the paintbrush broke.

Gendo listened carefully to the story. Every now and then, his painted eyes would narrow, or he would rub his wooden chin.

"I see..." he finally said. "Kamek created an exceptionally dangerous potion with that spell... and if he should gather the remaining ingredients... only the stars would know in which sort of chaos the Mushroom World would be plunged. Princess Peach's transformation is only the beginning, I'm afraid... but you are right, to counter such powerful magic, equally powerful magic is needed - such as the magic contained within this Comet Stone."

"That means you'll give it to us, right?" Ranma asked.

Geno nodded. "Yes, I will. But not only that, I will go along with you. If Kamek's powers rise even more, he will also be a danger to the Star Road and all the other planets out there, should he decide that the Mushroom World is not enough for him. He must be stopped!"

Akane blinked. "That's it? That's all we needed to do to get the damn rock? We ask him for it and he just gives it to us?"

"Don't tell me you wanted it to be more difficult, Akane," Ranma asked her. "Aren't you glad it went as smoothly as it did?"

"Of COURSE I am!" Akane shouted. "After all, I was the one who got transformed into an abomination by a trio of crazy viruses. I just... didn't expect all the main part of this so-called 'mission' would contain was just a talk with a wooden doll... no offense, please!"

"None taken," Geno smiled.

"Well, it is not quite over yet," Mario reminded her. "We still have to return back home. After all, there is no cannon at the Observatory that could shoot us back to the Mushroom World..."

"Yes... I am afraid I can't let the Observatory move closer to the Mushroom World," Rosalina apologized. "It needs to stay on its current course..."

"So, what does that mean?" Ranma wondered. "We'll just float through space? Or do you expect us to jump from asteroid to asteroid?"

"Not that it wouldn't be possible, but it would take us too much time," Mario said.

"Well, I figured you'd have this sort of problem and prepared something for you," Geno said. Again, he held out his palm, but this time, the bright light did not appear in his hand, but in front of them. And what appeared wasn't another Comet Stone, but a bright, five-pointed star that was hovering just above the ground they were standing on.

Mario touched the smooth, shimmering surface of the flat star. "What... is it?"

"It's called a 'Warp Star'!" Geno explained. "The residents of a faraway planet use these stars as a method of transportation. I figured you'd bring a few friends along, so I brought the biggest one I could find. I think there's enough space for all of us."

"You gotta be kidding me..." Akane said. "There are no seatbelts on this thing, no seats, nothing..."

"We're going to be all right, after all, there won't be any sort of airstream in space. And since there is no gravity, you can't really fall off during our flight."

"But... but that makes absolutely no sense..." Akane stuttered.

"Akane... we're standing in the middle of outer space, and yet we're able to breathe just fine," Ranma said. "You fought against human-sized viruses, you came here after being fired from a giant cannon, we visited a kingdom that is inhabited by intelligent mushrooms, Kodachi and Ryoga turned out to be walking, talking turtles... are you seriously still trying to make any sense out of this place?"

Akane blinked.

"I... I guess not..."

"Okeydokey, then everything's-a settled," Mario smiled as he pulled a small device out of his pocket.

"Mario, what's that?" Rosalina wondered.

"That's-a my Mailbox SP," Mario smiled. "Just lemme send an E-mail to Luigi and the professor, and we'll be on our way. I think my bro will already be on his way back from Yoshi's Island."

"Yeah, and now that we got the Comet Stone, the melon juice won't be needed anymore, right?" Akane frowned. "Which means Kasumi didn't have to go with him in the first place..."

"Oh, I'm sure nothing happened to them," Mario smiled. "After all, Yoshi's Island is the most peaceful place I've seen in my life."

"But didn't you tell me you once fought Bowser's troops on that island?" Ranma wondered.

"Yes, but that was when Bowser's son Iggy had built a castle on the island, to imprison one of Yoshi's friends... and that was a long time ago. Now the only inhabitants of that island are the always-happy Yoshis, and harmless Shyguys."

"And a not-so peaceful Yoshi called Boshi..." Geno reminded his friend.

"Oh yeah, heheheh..." Mario grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. "I almost forgot about him..."

Akane glared at the plumber. "If anything happened to my sister..."

Mario gulped when the short-haired girl pulled out a hammer that was even bigger than the Ultra Hammer he had found during his visit on Lavalava Island.

Suddenly, his Mailbox SP began beeping.

"Say, that's a nice ringtone," Ranma commented.

"Ah, a message from my bro," Mario said. He quickly read the E-mail and smiled. "Everything's-a okay!" he told Akane. "He, your sister and Yoshi could acquire the melon without any difficulty."

Akane sighed and put away her hammer. "Oh, okay... sorry, I guess I overreacted there..."

"Hey, it's all right, Akane!" Ranma grinned. "I'm kinda used to it by now..."

WHAM!

"That's for criticizing my self-control!" the mallet-wielding Tendo grumbled as she pulled her hammer off her fiance's head.

Mario winced. "Ouch..."

* * *

"Hey, skull head, how much longer until we're in Toad-Town?"

"Not much longer..." Captain Cortez grumbled from behind the steering wheel. "And would you shrimps please go bother someone else?" he told the two Kremling kids that were running all around him.

"But it's so much fun to annoy you!" Kip grinned. "Hey, how do you float like this? Is there a string attached to your bony head?"

"How can you make your body and weapons appear out of thin air?" Kass added.

"When you have a drink, does it just drop to the ground?"

"Can we play bowling with your skull?"

At this moment, Cortez wished that he wasn't already dead... so he could shoot himself.

"All right, kids, that's enough!" Tiny frowned as she came up behind Kass and picked her up from the ground.

"Hey, I used to be bigger than you!" the Kremling girl protested.

"So? I'm bigger now, which means I'm in charge!" And the ape girl stuck out her tongue.

"Heh, you can't catch us both!" Kip laughed as he ran away.

Only to be stopped by a lavender-haired amazon.

"You stop this, or Shampoo make use of ancient technique to punish naughty sons."

"You can't scare me, you silly human!" Kip proclaimed. "What sort of technique is that supposed to be? Throwing bananas at me?"

"Shampoo is no monkey," the amazon frowned.

"Well, I can see the resemblance," Kip chuckled as he looked over to Tiny.

"Let me tell you what sort of punishment we use for naughty male children like you..." Shampoo smirked. She then whispered into the Kremling boy's ear.

It shouldn't be possibly for a reptile to pale, but Kip managed to accomplish that feat. "You're kidding!"

"Oh, Shampoo would never kid when talking about ancient tribe customs," the amazon grinned.

"HEEEEELLLLPP!" Kip yelled and struggled against her grip. "I'm too young to die..."

Shampoo giggled to herself. When walking past a surprised Tiny, she whispered to the simian girl: "Actually, this custom hasn't been used for decades now... but little lizard-boy does not need to know, right?"

Tiny giggled. That girl really was funny for a human.

While Shampoo and Tiny carried the two Kremlings away from the captain, Kimmy and Ryoga came walking up to Cortez. "Honestly, how much longer until we arrive?" Ryoga asked.

"I guess one more hour, at least," the undead pirate captain replied. "That is, if those two Kremling kids don't rob me of my last nerve..."

"That's good to know," Kimmy said. "Truth is, I just received a message from Professor E. Gadd... and according to him, Mario and Luigi both managed to find what they were looking for. They are all on their way back home... just as we are."

"I'm not too interested in the affairs of mortals..." Cortez muttered. "But I'm actually glad to hear that Princess Peach will turn back to normal soon enough. I never met her, but if half of what Mario told me about this noble lady is true, she must be one damn fine woman."

"If only I didn't have this bad feeling in my guts..." Ryoga mumbled. "I just know that grandpa is up to something... if we only knew when and where he's going to strike next..."

"Well, as long as he doesn't have your bandana, his potion still isn't finished, so I'm betting that he's somehow planning to snatch it from you," his mother said.

"True... well, at least we have many allies and friends on board that are willing to help us," Ryoga sighed. "Shampoo and Ukyo, Donkey Kong and his friends, Cortez' crew..."

"Sorry, but my mates and I will be leaving as soon as we dropped you off," Cortez apologized. "We have some unfinished business on Keelhaul Key... I'm a busy pirate, see?"

"I understand..." Kimmy nodded. "Well, at least this saved us the money for the blimp ticket..."

Suddenly, a tiny, block-shaped critter came hopping out of Ryoga's shell and rubbed against his legs affectionally.

Ryoga smirked. "I think Scrunch is getting hungry... I guess I'll feed him."

"Did you carry that baby Tchomp around in your shell for all this time?" his mother wondered.

"Hey, he's still too small to be of any help in a battle," Ryoga said. "And what can I say, he likes it in my shell... and in my backpack, for that matter."

"But aren't Tchomps supposed to be feral killers?" Cortez wondered.

"Not this one," Ryoga smirked while petting the small stone block with fangs. "I grew fond of him ever since Kodachi and I brought him with us from the Whonkia Ruins. I think he's missing her..."

"Well, he'll be able to see her pretty soon," Kimmy smiled. "I've also received a message from Princess Peach... apparently, Prof. E. Gadd informed her as well, and she's coming back to Toad-Town as soon as the new paintbrush is finished... and Kodachi already said that she wants to come along as an escort."

"Sounds like she already accepted Bowser's Castle as her new home..." Ryoga murmured.

Kimmy sighed. "I can't say I like it... but with Kamek out of the way, I can at least hope that she will lead the Koopa army into the right correction... and maybe Bowser himself will listen to reason."

Diddy Kong was lazily dangling out of the ship's rig when he heard Kimmy's last comment. "Well yeah, that's the day Monty Moles can fly..." he mumbled to himself.

* * *

Jut outside of the dark and gloomy woods that surrounded Creepy Steeple, Kamek piled up a big heap of bones he had brought from the cemetery. Next to him, the Dry Bones named Skinless was waiting patiently.

In the end, Kamek raised his wand and muttered a few words. A bright beam of magic came flying out of its tip, hitting the pile of bones. Slowly, they floated up into the air, where they changed shape and size.

Finally, Kamek's newest creation came floating down, until it stood on the soft forest ground in front of them.

The Koopa wizard smiled. "This... will be your ride. With this, you will be able to reach Toad-Town in no time. Don't forget my instruction and the... special weapon I gave you. Don't hesitate when the time comes to retrieve the artifact, understood?"

Skinless nodded. "I understand and obey, master!"

Kamek nodded with satisfaction. "Good... no get going! I'll be watching from afar..."

And with no further word, the Dry Bones climbed into the vehicle that Kamek had formed out of bones and magic... it resembled a ribcage with a giant Koopa skull on its front, but it had four wheels underneath.

Skinless started the magical engine of his own, personal kart, the Banisher, and dashed off, leaving the Magikoopa and the dark forest behind. He only had one thing on his mind: To find the enchanted bandana and bring it back to his master, no matter what!


	29. Brash Bomb Boo

'This shouldn't have happened to me! This sort of thing doesn't happen to me!' Sayuri felt like she was a flower, hard pressed between two pages of a book, crushed into two dimensions, like a shadow devoid of depth. With a fixed window in a void of nothingness into the outside world of reality.

'Me and Yuka...' Sayuri thought. 'This doesn't happen to us! Never! We see the principle sometimes trying to shave Ranma! We hear from Akane how another prince wanted her as a trophy wife, but we're always safe from all of it!' Sayuri felt like crying, and truth be told, she could not be really blamed for it. 'All the insanity that happens in Nerima never directly hurts us! Even Daisuke and Hiroshi get caught up more than us in the absurdness that never leaves Akane alone!'

Sayuri barely managed to look at her best friend, who was currently asleep, thankfully.

'Yuka means floors, as in flat, ugh! I thought we'd have escaped that stupid 'names will somehow decide your fate' curse that seems to plague everyone else in Tokyo! My name sounds like 'sayuu' everyone told me, meaning influence, control, or domination. That was a sure sign everyone said, that I was going to get possessed by a evil spirit, get brainwashed, or assuming a leadership role eventually! Even though I always preferred to avoid the stupid lime light! And I did my best to make sure Yuka had her say when chatting just so those nut jobs couldn't say I was 'dominating' the 'floor girl!' The dark brown pony tailed girl sighed. 'To think, I always thought me and Yuka were Akane's safe haven. When she was with us, none of the insanity could happen directly. None of the other girls after Ranma would try to poison her, or give her a grenade hidden in a pizza slice. I wonder if we've been fooling ourselves. That no one is safe from the craziness in Nerima. Yuka... you and I both agreed not to take martial arts just so no demented challenger looking to say 'my jutsu is better than your jutsu' didn't come banging down our door! After all, in Nerima, everyone stupid enough to be a mugger is already in the hospital.' Sayuri kept thinking, she had to keep thinking, otherwise her current situations' full reality would come down on her if she stopped reflecting and fully accepted where she was right now.

* * *

"I want to see my child!"

"Sorry, but you'll have to contact the evidence branch and fill out the proper forum."

"You're joking!"

* * *

'STUPID POLICE! 'Kids into paintings is too weird even for Nerima!' Agh!' Due to the evil forces of paper work, Nerima-phobia, and downright human apathy, Sayuri and the rest were currently in the local police evidence locker. 'At least Hikaru finally shut up... if I had to hear one more prayer to whatever forbidden deity is getting his lunch money this week, OR hear one more speech about spirits I'd have gone crazy and... and... done nothing!' Because nothing was exactly what Sayuri and the rest of King Boo's victims could do.

Ryonami, being part of Nabiki's circle, had spent hours ranting and raving about not wanting to be sold, seeing as he was now just an animated piece of art, and saying how he'd top whatever anyone offered for him.

Sayuri and Co. weren't ghosts or spirits, they were living entities, and as such, weren't meant to be contained like the House Ghosts fought once by Luigi had been: and as such, their containment was having a slow but sure degrading effect on their sanity.

"Akane, where are you?!" Sayuri shouted not caring if she woke up her fellow victims or not, "Why haven't you come back with the magic doodad or enchanted water that'll cure us already?!" Sayuri would have banged her head almost against the front of the painting if she could. But her torture was actually now WORSE than what Mario had endured during his time as King Boo's prisoner. Since King Book had used the background paint to create Petety, the victims could not now even move about inside their prison! All there was was the nothingness and them and their little window into the outside world!

Sayuri mind began spewing out worse case scenarios. 'Am I going to starve to death in here? CAN I starve to death? Or am I just gonna keep on... existing?!'

"And this painting just came in from hoverpod from Japan, the world's first talking painting, created one thousand years ago and still fully functional."

'No!' Sayuri mentally shouted at her own mind. But she had nowhere to escape from it.

"Don't be late to school Sayuri, and watch out from cracks in the floor. Oh and we decided it would be cheaper to mail you to China."

"Stop it!" Sayuri begged her imagination, grabbing her head as best she could in her 2-D state. But not thinking of an elephant applies to all states of the mind.

"Sayuri dear, we've decided to do some improvements to you while you're in there, now stay still and the painter will be done in no time, this is much cheaper than plastic surgery."

'Noo! That won't happen! My family would never do that to me! Even if I'm trapped in here I'm still me! Akane's going to come back with a cure for this curse! I know she is!'

'Like they've never been able to find a cure for Ranma's curse?' Sayuri heard her own brain say to her.

'Why did mother nature have to give the human brain two hemispheres?!' Sayuri cursed.

'But you're not human right now, you're just a painting, nothing but a painting, not a person, nothing more, nothing less, just something for people to look at, just smile and be silent for the gallery goers.'

"SHUT UP!" Sayuri shouted at herself. 'I'm not going crazy! I'm not going crazy! I'm not gonna go crazy! Akane'll fix this and everything will be back to the status quo like it always is!!!'

Sayuri heard a giggle, it was Yuka. Sayuri moved her view as best she could in her 2-D prison, and saw Yuka, giggling strangely.

"Yuka-chan?" Sayuri said, actually glad for the feeling of dread in her gut, since it implied she still had one.

Yuka giggled a bit more before saying: "Isn't it great Sayuri-chan? Isn't it? We're paintings! Cute little paintings! We never age or grow old or lose our beauty like those humans! We're immortal! Art exists forever! So do we! We can just watch the centuries go by as art! Too bad our painter forgot to sign us when he painted us, eh? I hope that they put us in a good gallery! Heheheh! Though I wonder why our painter named me Yuka and didn't make me a floor painting. Unlike those crude humans who were born we've been painted to be a legacy of timeless beauty!" Yuka broke out into giggles again.

'What is this?' Sayuri thought, looking at her giggling friend, 'Is this some of kind of mental curse to go along with being trapped in the painting?' The real truth hit Sayuri like a freight train. She gazed upon her best friend with absolute horror. Yuka, who was now as flat as her name sake, had dealt with the stress the only way she could: She had gone stark, raving, mad.

* * *

"See, we have every imaginable type of Boo," Boonita explained as she and Happosai strolled through the halls of Creepy Steeple. "We have the common Boo, the Dark Boo, the Pink Boo, the Block Boo, the Balloon Boo..."

"...and the huge Boos, apparently..." Happosai murmured when a Boo that was twice the size of Boonita hovered through a wall right in front of them.

"Oh, the bigger Boos are higher ranked than the lower Boos like us," Boonita sighed. "See, the bigger a Boo, the more power he has... although, the powers of all Boos are raised when there are more of us in one spot. Sometimes, the normal Boos even merge to form a Big Boo, a Bigger Boo, an Atomic Boo... or even the biggest Boo I've ever seen, Boolossus!"

"Unbelievable..." Happosai shook his head. "And they all live here, in this ruined place...?"

"Oh, we've come here from all over the Mushroom Kingdom," Boonita said. "From dark fortresses, from ghost houses... a couple of Boos have served directly under Bowser, and others are the personal guard of King Boo..."

"And... he's the King of all Boos?" Happosai asked.

"Well, there are a few that don't follow him, but he pretty much sees them as traitors... such as the noble lady that lives in an old manor, at the edge of Forever Forest... but I would never think of betraying King Boo," she quickly added, nervously looking around. "He's way too scary," she whispered. "Even more than hungry Clubbas..."

Happosai raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He let his gaze sweep across the dark steeple and the dozens of assembled ghosts. 'I'm beginning to feel out of place here...' he thought. 'King Boo promised me to help me get even with Ranma, but... these ghosts are working for a madman who wants to conquer this fungus kingdom, or whatever it is called... fine, he can do what he wants, but... that's not really any kind of business I like to get involved with. There aren't even any nice-looking girls in this world... no underwear to steal...' He sighed. 'I'm starting to miss Nerima... with the locker rooms of Furinkan High... the bath house... Akane-chan's bedroom...'

His thoughts were interrupted when he ran right into a white barrier that had appeared in front of him. It was white as a bed sheet, and it also felt like soft cloth... for a moment, he was reminded of his beloved panties... but then, he saw the grinning faces that appeared in the middle of the white sheet and realized that it was a couple of mischievous ghosts. They cackled and pulled their sheet-like body through a crack in the ceiling.

"Another type of Boo?" he asked Boonita with a frown.

"Yeah, the Stretch Boos... sorry, but they really love doing that. But they aren't too bad, you know? They just acta bit childish at times..." She looked down at the floor. "To be honest, most of us aren't really so bad... I mean, we like dark, damp places and scare the wits out of people, but we rarely harm anyone..."

"I thought that was what King Boo wants you to do," Happosai wondered. "I mean, by siding with that wizard, you practically declared yourselves enemies of those mushroom people, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, sure..." Boonita sighed. "Still... it's just the king's decision. And... well, he's the king..."

"I've never seen any kind of authority that was worth listening to," Happosai huffed. He sat down in a corner and lit his pipe. "I was my own master, my whole life long... I let others do the work for me, that's far more easier than doing the work myself."

"Y-yeah, but you're pretty strong for a human," Boonita pointed out. She blushed. "I'm not strong... all the other Boos always win when we arm-wrestle... and King Boo..." She shuddered. "He would squash me flat if I would take him on. I'm not even particularly scary for a Boo..." She sniffled. "I once tried floating into a young Toad girl's bedroom to scare her, and... and when I hovered over her bed, and she opened her eyes... do you know what she said?"

"Um... what did she say?"

Boonita cried as she leaned against the martial arts master's shoulder. "Sh-she... she s-said... 'Ooooooh, how cute!' Can you... can you believe how mortifying it is for a Boo to hear such words?"

Happosai couldn't help but feel sorry for the ghost girl. "There, there..." he said and patted her round head/body. "I think you're pretty scary..."

She sniffled. "Ah, you're just saying that..."

"Yo, baby! How about you stop the waterworks and ask me for a date?" a raspy voice suddenly spoke up behind them.

"Oh no... it's him!" Boonita groaned. "That's all I need..."

The Boo that was floating up to them was not white, or purple like the Dark Boos, he was completely black. The only parts of him that weren't black were his glowing eyes and his slobbering tongue. Some of his slobber dribbled onto the floor as he circled Boonita. "Cute Boo chicks like you shouldn't cry, that's not hot... so why dontcha just stop and come along for a prank night?" He grinned. "The king wants me to sabotage Lady Bow's manor, to make sure she and her rabble don't side with the Toads when the time for the big battle has come. You can come along and keep me company..."

"I would never keep a Bomb Boo company!" Boonita yelled. "You guys are horrible, immature and like to injure others! Go away, I hate you!"

"Hey, that's what all ghosts do," the Bomb Boo proclaimed. "We're evil creatures of the night, live with it!"

"I'M NOT EVIL!" Boonita yelled.

She suddenly noticed how every Boo was looking at her.

The Bomb Boo whistled. "Not cool, baby, not cool..."

"Are you crazy, Boonita?" another female Boo gasped. "If the king hears you..."

"You are part of the Boo Squad, like it or not!" a rough-looking Dark Boo glowered.

"But... but... BUT I DON'T WANT TO!" Boonita cried as she turned herself invisible and flew right through the wall, out of the steeple.

The Boos that were left behind stared at the spot where she had vanished.

"Um, shall we tell the king?"

"I'm not doing it, I'm busy."

"Do you think he can even keep track of all the Boos around here? He probably won't even notice that she's gone."

"Wouldn't surprise me..." the Bomb Boo huffed. "She always was pretty uncomely for a Boo... not scary in the least..."

Happosai knew he had better things to do... then again, he also could think of better things than to hang out with ghosts.

And somehow, the little Boo girl reminded him of another girl that once had needed his help.

'Dang, and here I thought I would never get as sentimental as back when I first met Hinako...' he thought. He leapt out of the next window and looked around for Boonita. She was nowhere to be found.

'What a pity that ghosts rarely leave footprints behind...' "Hey, you!" he shouted when he saw a ghost floating nearby. This one wasn't even a Boo, it resembled the spirit of a dead dinosaur.

The Eerie looked at him. "Huh, me?"

"Yeah, you! Did you see a Boo around here?"

The Eerie chuckled. "Gramps, do you know where we are? There are hundreds of Boos in the steeple..."

"I meant right now! Did a Boo girl come past here? She must have flown into the forest..."

"Oh, that chick! Yeah, I saw her just a minute ago. Dang, and she nearly ran we over... that is, if we ghosts had material bodies. She certainly looked like she was in a hurry... she's that way!"

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Happosai grumbled and ran into the direction the dinosaur ghost had given him.

"No reason to be so grumpy..." the Eerie grumbled. Then he thought of something. "Say... what's a human doing here, anyways?"


	30. Sisterly talk

Junior was sitting in her room. Most of her torture devices had been removed by a stern Peach... but then again, Junior found herself to be preferring playing with other toys ever since her change.

The Koopa prince turned princess was holding a stuffed Goomba to her chest. Sighing, she looked at her other toys. She really didn't feel like playing at all.

The door opened, and Peach came storming inside. A big grin was on her reptilian face, and her long tail enthusiastically whipped around, nearly knocking over a stack of wooden blocks. "Junior! Did you hear the good news?" she shouted. "Mario has returned from outer space!"

"Whoop-dee-doo..." the Koopaling murmured, leaning against her oversized plush Goomba. She just couldn't bring up any sort of enthusiasm.

Peach knelt down next to her. "But don't you realize what that means?" she asked. "Prof. E. Gadd might be able to make a new brush. We can turn your father back to normal... you can become a little boy again... and I will be back to normal, too! Whoohoo, no more impotent minions to boss around, no more spiky thrones and lava pits..."

She stopped herself when she saw how in the eyes of the Koopa girl, she saw some tears. "But... sweetie, aren't you glad? Aren't you happy that you and your Daddy can return back to normal?"

"Being a girl isn't that bad..." Junior sniffled. "And... AND I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU! WHAAAAAAHH!"

Niagara Falls were pouring out of Junior's eyes. Peach was aghast. She never had predicted this kind of reaction. Over the past few days, she had been feared that this position in the Koopa army might become permanent... that she would remain the new Koopa Queen for all eternity... she even had begun to LIKE it...

She shook her head. If it wasn't for that dreadful dream she had a couple of nights ago, she probably wouldn't have come back to her senses. To never wear elegant robes and dresses again? To never feel the softness of human skin? To never have the marvelous balls and festivals back in her old castle?

Never... to be with Mario again?

"Listen, honey," she softly said, stroking Junior's red pigtails. "I know this is going to be hard for you. You and your siblings never really had a mother... and now I have to leave you all behind again. But, don't you see... I can't stay forever. I'm not part of this world... what will my friends, my subjects do in case I don't return?"

"What do I care?" Junior sniffled. "They're just a bunch of lousy Toads!"

"Now, now, what have I told you about looking down on others?" Peach said sternly, wagging her claw. "Be good. It's not like I'm gone forever." She smiled. "I think your father finally has realized that the constant battle between our two nations doesn't do us any good. I will come as often as I can and visit you, I promise!"

"But... but it won't be the same!" Junior bawled. "I want you to be with me all the time. And... and I want you to stay like this!"

Peach was shocked. "How could you even suggest things like that?" she murmured.

"Because... because... otherwise... YOU WOULDN'T BE MY MOMMY ANYMORE!"

And with tears flowing freely from her eyes, the youngest Koopaling ran from her room, leaving a baffled Peach behind.

She sadly looked down at her scaly hands. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I can't... I can't go on like this..."

Suddenly, Bowsie came in. "There you are, Peachy!" she smiled. "I've just found the CUTEST dress in Wendy's wardrobe... and I believe it's my size. You wanna help me try it on?"

Peach sighed as she stood up from the ground. "Bowser," she said, catching the red-headed princess off-guard by using her original name. "We've got to talk... about your son... I mean daughter..." She groaned. "About Junior! It's important!"

* * *

"The nerve of Daddy..." Wendy grumbled while carefully putting back her clothes into her wardrobe. "He may be a female human now, but he could at least ask before digging through my things." She then giggled. "Although, I must admit, she'd probably look too cute in this sundress..."

"SIIIIIISS!" came the wailing cry of the youngest Koopaling, as she came barging into her sister's room, clinging to her tightly.

"Wha...? Junior, calm down! What's the matter with you?" Wendy asked with surprise.

"It's Mommy..." Junior whimpered. "She wants to leave us... she doesn't like me anymore... WAAAAAAAAHH!!"

'Oh boy,' Wendy mentally sighed.

"Oh, Junior," she said, sitting down on her bed with her little sibling. "Don't you get it yet? Peach may be a sweet and kind person, and Daddy may have certain... feelings for her, I dunno... but you must remember, she isn't really our mother."

"Yes, she is," Junior muttered, pressing her face against her sister's shell. "She's a Koopa, and she's my Mommy..."

"Oh dear..." Wendy murmured. She never had to play the consoling role of an older sister before... all of her other siblings were immature, annoying boys, and before his change... well, Junior had pretty much been the same.

But ever since the magic of the damaged brush had turned him into a girl... the little Koopa tot had become quite emotional. Also, Wendy had begun to feel a certain attachment to her. She felt protective, like most older sisters felt towards their younger sisters.

"Listen, sweetie," she said. "I can't promise you that Peach will be staying her. We can't do anything about it, you know? But what I can do is that I will, whether you will turn back to normal or not, I will look out for you. Whenever you've got trouble, you can come to me, and we'll talk about everything."

Junior looked up at her with teary eyes. "Promise?" she sniffled.

The older Koopa princess smiled. "Yeah, I promise! Now, tell me: Do you still want to become a boy again?"

Junior shook her head and hugged her older sister. "Nu-uh, I wanna stay like this... 'cause, when I'm a boy again... I will think that hugging a girl is yucky."

Bowser's daughters looked at each other, then they broke out into fits of giggles.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Junior and Wendy looked up when they heard the loud scream coming from the playroom of their brothers.

"Wasn't that Auntie Daisy?" Junior wondered.

* * *

In the Koopaling playroom, between Lemmy's rubber ball and Morton's punching ball, the brown-haired princess of Sarasaland stood, holding a ropey tail that was coming out of her dress, and twitching a short muzzle with whiskers.

"I THOUGHT I WAS RID OF THESE THINGS!" she yelled.

"Um, maybe it's a relapse," Larry suggested.

"Why are you complaining, I think you look funny," Lemmy snickered, ignoring the glares the partly-transformed princess was giving him.

"Oh my," Akari muttered. She then grinned weakly. "Um, if it helps, I think that muzzle looks very cute on you."

Peach, Bowsie, Kodachi and the two female Koopalings then entered the room.

"Daisy, what's wrong, why are you..." Peach gasped. "What? Why... why are you turning back?"

"We don't know," Akari explained. "I was just helping her tidy up the room... when suddenly, poof! She grew a rat's tail right in my face."

Daisy groaned despairingly. "The changes don't seem to continue, but... why did this happen?"

"Oh boy," Junior muttered. "Maybe there was a spot of magic paint left on you somewhere..."

"That can't be!" Daisy protested. "I've taken several baths since that day!"

"Well, the only explanation I can come up with is that Kamek's magic could have made the transformative powers of the paint so potent, that it even affects you after it's washed off your body... to a lesser extent, of course," Iggy said, looking very scholarly while speaking. Everyone looked at him. "What? Didn't you know I was studying magic theory? I wanted to become a Magikoopa, but Kamek never allowed me to be his student before."

"Well, we all know the reasons for that now, do we?" Kodachi grumbled. She recalled the offer her grandfather had made to her, about making her his new apprentice.

"Don't worry, Daisy!" Peach smiled. "I'm sure that the solvent the professor is making will be strong enough to get rid of the magic forever."

"I sure hope so..." Daisy sighed. "Because I don't really know if my subjects back at home would accept a rat princess..."

"That reminds me," Kodachi spoke up and reached back to her shell. She pulled out an envelope, which she gave Princess Bowsie. "This letter arrived via Parakoopa mail, about 20 minutes ago. It's a message from the Birabuto Desert in Sarasaland. Unfortunately, the messenger lost his mail on the way and he had to find it before he could deliver it."

"I think I know that mailman," Peach sighed. "Oh, Parakarry... you'll never change..."

"A letter?" Bowsie wondered. "Oh, it must be from Morton and Roy."

She opened the envelope and began to read. "No, it's from a Fire Bro, a member of their troop," she said. Her eyes widened. "And according to this... he helped them storm a pyramid... but then... they walked into a trap!"

Twins of flame then appeared in the eyes of the green-dressed princess. "Who did it?" she roared, and for a moment, everyone believed that she had turned back into a Koopa. "Who did that to my boys?"

"Damn, I should have warned them," Daisy groaned. "Inside the big pyramid, I sealed the evil King Totomesu... a villain who once worked for the alien Tatanga, who kidnapped me. They must have unsealed his chamber..."

"Daisy, you never told me about that," Peach said reproachfully, crossing her arms beneath her scaly bosom.

"Well, excuuuse me... but if you hadn't told those tykes to invade my kingdom, this wouldn't have happened!"

"My lord," Kodachi saluted in front of Bowsie. "I mean... my lady, with your permission, I will lead a new troop into the desert, to free your sons from this villain!"

"You'd do that?" Bowsie asked in surprise.

"Oh yes," Kodachi smirked. "After all, I'm a member of the Koopa Troop now... and that evil king will rue the day he decided to challenge the Koopa Kingdom, and the Black Rose! OHOHOHOHOH!"

Akari looked at her 'sister-in-law' with worry. "Is it a relapse?" she whispered, having heard about Kodachi's previous behavior from Peach.

"No, it's just the bottled-up feelings of a proud Koopa!" Bowsie smiled proudly.

Peach, on her part, was glad that the family curse of the Kunos finally seemed to be a part of history.

A young, human male in a purple hakama came running past the door, chasing a swarm of cackling Piranha Plants that were using their broad leaves as feet. He was wildly swinging around a bokken and yelled: "COME BACK, YOU FOUL WEEDS, AND FACE THE WRATH OF THE BLUE THUNDER! HAVE AT THEEEEEE!"

Well, at least partly.


End file.
